Potent Hearts, Clear Memories
by Shelia13
Summary: Sequel to Dark Dawns, Bright Dusks. Rogue and Celestine were finally discovering things about Celestine's past, and each other. But the night before they are about to visit a castle of her home, Celestine is abducted. In a world where magic is fickle, fear is prominent, and love is even smaller. Can the two find happiness?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I felt myself slowly open my eyes, an arm securely wrapped around my waist. "I'll never let go." Rogue's voice echoed, I relaxed for slightly a minute as I slowly glanced up towards whom was carrying me. it had to be Rogue, he had rescued me already. I glanced towards the ground feeling shame wash over my face, it hadn't been that long ago we were still walking back to the castle. He was probably angry at me for not using my shield when I had truly needed it. I glanced towards my abdomen red liquid dripping from a wound. How did that happen? My mind buzzed trying to remember the recent events of the night. I had just been talking to Rogue within my room hadn't I? In the morning-in the morning-we were going to take a journey to visit a woman who he had presumed was my mother. I had just met Artemis, and Sting had settled, they were going to get married soon. That was probably cute, I glanced towards the ground wondering what it would be like.

As suddenly a shiver ran up my spin. Something wasn't right here. There was definitely something wrong, I couldn't smell any of the sweet kind scents of the welcoming city. Instead it was as if we were in _Murky Forest_ which was just outside the circumference of PhantomLord. I glanced up towards whom I thought to be Rogue. The only problem was_ it __**wasn't**__ Rogue_. I felt my heart pulse as my instinct kicked in to start kicking and screaming as hard as I could, and for an injured untrained woman in heels I did pretty well, I managed to get the attacker to almost drop me for a moment in the least before the scoffed and continued walking. I felt so flimsy and weak, something that I should have probably been getting used to since entering another kingdom's castle where not one but two dragon slayers resided.

I felt myself blink barely able to breath as I remembered the events. I had grown up under the evil rule of the step-in "King" Jose who was determined to kill most of the citizens by the time I was eightteen while also apparently keeping an eerie watch on each of the maid's family history while doing so, during this time most of the magic-users were limited to a very select few even in places where magic was more prominent magic had only been in the upper class. And even then there was a certain magic that was also extremely uncommon, _dragon slaying magic. _It was just recently that Prince Rogue had told her- no presumed- that she was a kidnapped child from a far away kingdom from a step-in-queen. They were going to visit tomorrow, and yet there I was somewhere far away deep within the woods with a strange stranger instead. "Rogue.." I whispered wondering if he was already close enough to hear me yet. He was definitely going to come for me.

"Shut up, you just had to wake up right before we got there didn't you?" the person carrying me grumbled shifting my position. "You have no idea how much easier it is to carry someone who's unconscious." They grumbled complaining as if it were an everyday job that really didn't matter to them any more. "Why? Where are we? ...Where are we going?" I whispered barely able to speak a glared flashed quickly down at me before I blacked out blinking only to see "King" Jose in front of my face once again. I felt a shiver of fear and deja vu echo throughout my entire being, a desire to call and scream for Rogue becoming even louder as I looked at the man who the last time I had seen him he had tried to kill me.

"Our precious dear maid Celestine who was kidnapped to SaberTooth as a hostage has been returned. Thank goodness!" "King" Jose said spinning around to face the rest of the room of nobles who probably just found someone new to boss around clapped cheerfully some crying to put on a show as they saw their "comrade" be returned to their "humble" and "safe" home. I felt a shiver run down my spine to me this place was totally opposite. Coming here was a death sentence. I glanced around at each of the faces smiling and crying so happy that I was home those same faces of when I had been dragged up for execution that were laughing. The scene was so planned yet it was extremely readable. I felt my heart pounded in my chest screaming for the only thing that would probably show up and save me from such a man. A dragon slayer. A prince. And not just any prince. My heart was screaming for Rogue begging him to show up.

The only problem with that was he was probably asleep. No, he wouldn't be, he had always rushed to my side no matter what was wrong. I felt my heart pound in my ribcage betraying what I had told myself I was going to do. I wasn't going to be afraid and I was going to be completely assured that Rogue would come for me. I glanced towards maids who were running fearfully in and out a couple glancing towards me who was wheezing on the floor spilling my insides all over it waiting for "King" Jose to scream about me ruining the floor. "You gonna get mad 'bout the floor?" I found the strength to laugh glancing towards Jose as I attempted to put pressure upon my wound the step-in-king swirled back to me having a completely abstract look upon his face.

It was the opposite of how I was imagining it, obviously this must've been part of the plan. "Quickly! Get a doctor! SaberTooth tried to silence her once they decided she wouldn't be of help!" Jose shouted as several maids ran in and dragged me out on a gurney. Everything was going back and forth between being visible and completely black. Even at one point I had imagined Rogue standing next to me while Artemis was on the other side trying frantically to heal me. I reached my hand out towards them, the hallucinations passing through my hands as the one of Rogue's leaned down whispering. "I _will _find you." I felt a smile come to my face.

I glanced open my eyes looking around, this wasn't our medical room, it couldn't have been. It was too nice, there were no cobwebs, and "King" Jose was just sitting there with another man sipping tea. At that rate I was slowly becoming highly confused. "This isn't the castle." I whispered as "King" Jose shook his head obviously still keeping up his act. "No, no, no, we came up to the personal royal quarters to make sure that you had everything you needed." He instructed as I felt my heart pounder there was definitely something wrong here. And in a scary way. "I need out of here!" My mind screamed as suddenly it slipped from my mouth, I was already losing it.

"I need out of here! Let me out! I need to go back to Sabertooth! Who kidnapped me? Why do I have a giant hole in my abdomen?!" I screeched glancing at everyone in the room as suddenly several of the people in white coats rushed over attempting to calm me down once again. "I don't want to be here! I want to go back!" I screeched as everyone looked at me puzzled and confused. "Do you remember the memory wip drug you suggested earlier?" "King" Jose whispered to the other man who nodded. I felt my eyes widen they only did that for extreme war cases and most people didn't get to choose. "No, no, no! Let go! I wasn't traumatized! I was happy there!" I screeched my voice being ignored almost completely. They were going to try to erase all of my memories, every single one of them.

"I feel she may have been traumatized in Sabertooth"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sliding my eyes open once again I glanced towards a soft green that lit the room. It was kind and warm, something that was currently feeling unfamiliar as if I hadn't experienced something similar to such a thing. "Where am I?" My mind buzzed everything feeling unfamiliar. I sat up glancing around the cold room, nothing seemed extraordinary unusual. I felt my feet move on their own walking their way to the door as if they were in a rush to leave the darkened place. As if there was somewhere I had to go, someplace I had to get back too. I reached for the door as it suddenly opened a maid standing there with several plates of food and a sour look upon her face while a tall man stood behind her. I felt my eyes scrutinize both of them with their unfamiliar faces and unfamiliar foods. "Oh dear Celestine, you are awake? Thank goodness! Everyone in the castle has been so worried about you!" The man shouted as if he were extremely worried about someone. I glanced over my shoulder looking for this 'Celestine' that he was talking to. "Who's Celestine?" I asked glancing to and fro; it was only the maid, this man, and I whom were standing in the light green room.

"Celestine…she's like the princess of our castle." The man stated looking at me with a sad seeming flash in his eyes. I heard the maid slam down several pots in the background rearranging them quickly and sharply as if attempting to leave as quickly as possible. "Maybe we should change your name if you can't respond to Celestine; do you have any names you like?" The man asked as I shook my head. "If Celestine is my name, I think I would want to keep it…it's something important and other people know me by right?" I whispered as this man nodded. "King Sir, I shall be taking my leave now." The maid bowed and quickly rushed out of the room. "She almost looked fearful." My mind buzzed following her blonde flowing hair as she rushed down the hallway. "You're the king?" I whispered highly confused as I glanced at him. "Yes I am, and you are my step-daughter." He said as I flinched away that wasn't something I had been expecting for him to say. "Oh..." I whispered unsure if I should apologize for not remembering. "It is fine; you have only been living here for a short while. There was an accident yesterday where you fell down most of the castle stairs I was told you probably wouldn't remember much of living here. Maybe possibly your old life before we had discovered you were actually royalty but not here." He instructed as I nodded. "I don't remember any of it." I whispered as he nodded. "It's alright you might not want to remember living outside the castle anyway. It is a grand place here." He assured as I nodded. "King Jose what would you like for dinner tonight?" A servant ran up, shaking, as they looked upon this king. "I am currently talking to my daughter, please make her favorite meals." He smiled as the servant attempted to flash back a genuine smile running away once again. "The staff acts kind of funny. Strange even." I whispered as Jose nodded. "Of course, they are fearful. Another kingdom has been planning to start a war for a long, long time. And finally they have succeeded a reason too." King Jose stated as I glanced towards him wide-eyed, my heart pounding insecure over the hazy meaning of war and fearful of the death it might bring.

"What's their reason?" I whispered hesitant to ask such a question. "Maybe I should tell you after your training lessons today. You see the power's of a dragon slayer has skipped my line of royal descent but it is still flowing strong within your own blood." Jose explained. "What does that mean?" I whispered. "It means the other kingdom, SaberTooth, wants to-they want to use you as a meanings of war against your own kingdom. The younger prince has already come several times seeking your hand in marriage once we have discovered the powers that flow within you." The king shook his head. "You might not know this because of your memories but traditionally it is deemed unnecessary for a princess to learn to fight. It should not be the princess's responsibility to go to the battlefield to shed blood for her country. That's-that's your older brother's job." He said as I glanced towards him. "I have a brother?" I asked as Jose nodded. "An older...step-brother…" He corrected as I nodded probably not going to add the words in later. "He is currently out spying on the SaberTooth right at this moment they are partying in a state of peace and had the gall to invite him. I told him it was a trap and he reassured me that he was plenty strong enough to handle a simple spy mission." King Jose said as I nodded. My mind buzzed wondering why it hadn't called him father or something since he was my step-father, it was something, something just didn't seem right there. I pushed the worries away. "So these lessons are to teach me to protect myself from SaberTooth with my powers?" I questioned as Jose nodded. "Of course, protecting one's self is a grand thing." He said walking out towards the garden where one of the knights had been waiting sitting upon a stool. The knight stood quickly, offering a quick bow, before greeting each of us.

"Hello King Jose….Princess Celestine." He stated my name becoming something of hesitation as if I was missing something that everyone else had known except me. I shrugged it off quickly. I should be paying attention to the lesson instead of worrying about the strange behavior of the staff. They were resources now, right now they weren't people, and they were going to be my resources to understand how everything in this small simple life was. I felt my heart pound in my chest remembering the prince of Sabertooth. I felt a question popping up within my mind. "What if his intention really was just from love and not from the want to start and control a war?" I shook my head, that couldn't have been right. No one could love someone whom they had never met, it was deeply suspicious. "I shall return later." Jose said as I nodded. "Should I stay here?" I asked wanting to know if I should return with the knight or wait in the garden for Jose. "Come back with the knight here." Jose instructed as I nodded turning to now two knights. "Is he gone?" The new presence asked suddenly appearing clad in red and black, half his hair black and half his hair white. "Hi, I'm Celestine, what's your name?" I asked quickly as both knights looked at me with some sort of disdain. "We all know who you are." They snapped quickly as I felt my eyes move instinctively towards the ground it was as if I was trying to avoid endangering myself in some manner. "Sorry, we don't mean to be as nasty as we sound." The one in red glanced away seeming worried over something. "She's a lady too, try to be nice at least." The red one said as the other nodded tossing a sword which was barely caught within my hands which stumbled uncomfortably upon it almost dropping it as the blade switched jamming itself within the ground. "It's a start she can at least hold a sword." The one in red sighed as the other nodded. "I'll be your instructor for the next couple weeks my names Totomaru." The one clad in red stated as I nodded glancing towards the other one. "I'm not ready to give someone like _you_ my name yet." The second hissed quickly being brushed off by Totomaru as if it were a normal gesture.

I quickly glanced back towards Totomaru he had seemed friendlier than the other knight. "This man here-" Totomaru paused pointing towards the scowling man standing next to him. "Is going to be your sparring partner, it's your job to hate him with all of your might." He instructed as I nodded quickly insecure about hating someone I didn't even know at all. "Are you sure that's how I should feel-" I begun to ask quickly cut off as my "sparring partner" suddenly charged me their sword held high above their head dropping down upon me, the words that Totomaru had spoken earlier quickly following in upon themselves.

I raised my sword barely able to block, confused, there was no way I had so much muscles before. I felt myself draw in a breath watching the shaking sword, it would definitely give out if I didn't manage to get away. I had to have some advantage: speed, my size, a distraction, the terrain...there had to be something that I could take advantage of to upset this enemy. I glanced towards the ground dirt everywhere. Maybe I could do that...combining my possible faster speed and the terrain. All's I had to do was be slightly faster than my opponent that's all I could hope for. "You going to try to run away?" The opponent growled. "Nope." I attempted to smile trying to surface a form of false confidence upon my face as I pushed the sword forwards a step and suddenly jumping backwards swinging the dirt up in his face. I felt the slightest bit of my relief that I had managed that as suddenly I heard a growl that sent a feeling of dread up my spin. "_Move! He can't see you move!" _My mind shouted as my feet slowly begun to move only working upon impulses now. "You little-" The man began to curse charging with his sword as I raised the one Totomaru had given me earlier only moments too late as suddenly I was knocked over into the garden pond.

I glanced up towards the green silhouette of the pond, it was so dirty. And strange. And familiar.

Slowly my eyes were closing with this unnatural ominous feeling that was lingering within my chest. Something was missing, something important. I glanced towards the bubbles rushing around my head as someone else had jumped into the endless seeming pond when I looked up their silhouette had been black exerting black hair with a glance of red eyes. I shook my head it must've been the lack of oxygen, no one had that color eyes. Especially around here. It felt so familiar as if some form of Deja vu. A name came to the edge of my lips brimming on them threatening to pour over them allowing water to slip in and steal the precious air away from my lungs. He was right there, so close, so familiar was that memory and yet just barely out of my grasp like, like _magic,_ it was like some form of magic that a fairy had cast to keep me just barely out of reach of a linger memory dancing in the wind. I felt two arms sweep me up dragging me to the top of the pond. It should've felt so familiar, at least that's what I had felt in my heart. And yet Totomaru's arms rescuing me from such a pond had shattered the memory I was just about to regain. I opened my eyes struggling for air as my lungs attempted to cough up the burning liquids that were plagued with germs from such dirty water. "Let the so-called poor maiden learn how to swim." The sparring partner growled suddenly raising his sword again as I raised my hands instinctively my breath still being husked away a frail orange glow circling around us. "Don't touch me." I managed to growl back something that felt like a bitter resentment with meaning behind it swirled within me clicking as if I knew something that was lingering in the back of my mind not ready to approach what I really was thinking. I just knew that this man, whatever his name was, that this man was a dangerous man with hostile thoughts that I shouldn't even attempt to go near with even the slightest need for it. Quickly the orange light shattered with no feeling behind it as I glanced towards my hands they were shaking and uncontrollable, I felt my eyes turn towards Totomaru who had just put me down in the grass blinking at me a frown displayed on his face. "What was that?" I whispered hoping that Totamaru would know since he was supposed to be my instructor. Totomaru let out a faint sigh, which almost sounded as if it were full of disappointment. "It was magic, one of your few magics." Totomaru explicated as I nodded waiting for him to explain more about the magic. Instead Totomaru kept silent. "Isn't that a good thing?" I asked quickly still sitting upon the ground as I stared up at him.

"Yes and no." Totomaru sighed blinking towards me as if he were looking at a fragile confused creature that could break at any moment and disappear. "It means I could defend myself, therefore, if I perfect it I can also defend others with it and take care of my kingdom!" I smiled looking up at him hopefully as he picked me up setting me on my feet by my elbow. "Not necessarily...there's a high possibility that King Jose is just _using you_ for your magic. The one thing that he doesn't have since he received _that position _for the royal line. You are about to become a weapon of war." Totomaru explained as I shook my head. "That's not right! He told me he was my foster parent! He wouldn't do that! No one would do that it's just not right to make someone a weapon of war! People are people!" I shouted back in high confusion. "No Celestine. People are people, that's what makes them fearful creatures." Totomaru sighed standing up slowly as he headed towards the door to go inside dripping wet while leaving puddles of water behind. "You're a lucky little one aren't ya? That man there hates water." The sparring partner laughed it was cruel and almost as if he had hoped we both were going to drown. I brushed my thoughts of my "wonderful" sparring partner aside glancing down towards my dripping outfit still unsure what the boiling emotions in my chest were as they were coming to the brim of my mind. I sighed heading off to get changed for the day once again. I would probably have to pick out a new outfit specifically for sparing with the two in front of me. "Where are you going?" My sparring partner growled picking up his sword once again obviously not liking my back turned towards him. "At least I gave you a warning! Normally I would've just attacked without hesitation!" He growled as I managed to grab my sword swinging it back up to block with strength I didn't even know I had anymore. I glanced down towards my hand that I was using to block pushing up the edge of the sword so hopefully it would support just enough to protect the rest of my body from being scathed by the other sword. "She's done sparring for the day, we're going to the high courts." Totomaru growled looking back towards us in which he had received a glare from my sparring partner. I felt a slight hopefulness slip up towards where the rest of the confused emotions reined in my chest. "Who are you to decide that? We're both here to teach the stupid one so you can't decide when she's done sparring." My sparring partner snapped as suddenly Totomaru was in front of him pushing his sword away with the back of his arm. "One. I'm stronger than you." Totomaru began gracefully slipping the sword out of my shaking hands as he begun to combat my sparring partner. "Two. You would try to run her into the ground; possibly try to kill her even if I left you alone too long." Totomaru stated another spark ushered off of both the swords. "Three. I'm your senior and you will do as I say." Totomaru finished with a growl as the sword from my sparring partner's hands begun to crack while being beaten and battered against Totomaru's strength. Totomaru dropped his sword and signaled for me to come with him. "Any problems?" Totomaru questioned over his shoulder as the sparring partner only looked at the ground full of the shame of being defeated.

I blinked up towards Totomaru who had a streak of blood across his face, I felt a sudden pounding in my chest as if this was my first experience seeing such a liquid it seemed unnatural. Totomaru glanced towards me quickly trying to whip it off of his face suddenly. "If you react like that every time you see blood you won't live long in this castle." Totomaru grumbled while leading me to the dining hall. I glanced down the pathway, it felt as if I had walked down it hundreds and hundreds of times before. So familiar, and yet I was never told we were going to the dining hall. I glanced on my left as we passed the dining hall. "Where are we going?" I asked quickly as Totomaru looked as me a slight shock registering in his eyes as if he had forgotten something. Probably that I was traveling with him. "You don't usually come this way." He sighed admitting that he forgot that I had been there. "-but you are going to go up those stairs. I'm going down this hallway." He explained as I nodded heading the way I was directed. I glanced towards the stairs these steps were unfamiliar and if I were the princess of this castle shouldn't I have known such a pathway? Slowly I opened a wooden door at the top of the steps listening to it's creaks as I glanced towards the magnificent room. It was a bathroom made in marble crusted with shining white. I glanced towards the waterfalls crashing down from the walls that were built higher up than the pool which was considerably the bath. Scrutinizing further I glanced around looking at shining bathroom, completely overdone just to impress the observer. Further down the corridor away from where the marble was there was placed a new dress, a note, several cleansing products, and a huge arrangement of towels. I quickly took a bath relaxing in the water and taking in the refreshing scents, before getting out and quickly getting dressed again before reading the note.

"Dear Celestine,

Here is a change of clothes that you may use in this time here at our lovely castle. Feel free to use any of the cleansing products within the area. We're humblest apologies are being offered towards you as we do not have you a proper outfit for combat, please leave your current dress upon the place in which you have found this note so we are able to mend it. After you are dressed remember to report for dinner.

~The Household Servants"

I glanced towards the note feeling a certain strange tenderness to it as I read. Almost as if something familiar was being set in place back in my heart, a worried being resolved before I had even known I was worrying. I smiled reassured that the pale pink dress had been left out for me and begun walking down the stairs once again with my bare feet touching the cold floor that I had to trail up to get to the upstairs corridors of the bathrooms. Touching the walls to make sure that I hadn't fallen down the stairs my fingers passed carefully over several purple flags with insignias engraved upon these flags. Ignoring them I continued finally hitting the bottom of the steps where a pair of flats laid in wait for me already. I smiled slipping the flats on and beginning to walk towards the dining hall. "Jeez, makes me wait nearly an hour before dinner and then leaves without me." Totomaru grumbled as I glanced towards him. "I didn't even know you were waiting, you should've told me you'd be back." I sighed towards him. His only response is that he shook his head in reply as if to express disappointment. "Are you going to be there every time we're done with practice?" I asked quickly figuring that I should know these things. "Usually at night, so almost always since they'll be teaching you about magic and how to live here in the morning. So if I'm sparring with you I figured it'd be kind of rude to show up without the princess." Totomaru explained, his words hesitating only slightly. I glanced away I was hearing things there was no way that a human's ears, magic or not, could hear such a hesitation. Glancing back up at him again as he ran his hand threw his hair which was still dripping wet I wondered if it would always be alright to show up at dinner together the way we were. "Hurry up; we're going to be late." Totomaru grumbled as he stuffed his hands in his pockets already walking ahead towards the dining hall. I smiled nodding as I suppressed a strange feeling in the back of my mind, everything was slightly spinning. No that had to be from practice. That's probably what it was, from exhaustion. A little food would probably help. I nodded to myself pressing forwards towards the dining hall.

***Meanwhile in SaberTooth***

***P.O.V. Rogue***

"_The brothers smiled walking away from one another as they continued on, a scream causing both to halt in the hallways, a door slamming and ruckus amongst the halls. "I've had enough of this for the night!" Sting shouted ushering a quick glare towards a door further down the halls, running towards it full of wonder if it was the attacker from earlier in the night, as Artemis came out of her room looking completely disheveled and confused. "That sounded like Celestine." She whispered wide-eyed. As suddenly the younger of the dragon slayer dou spun around charging quickly towards the room in which he just left._

"_Celestine!" Rogue shouted slamming open the door as the trio rushed in, the balcony doors swinging open and several things thrown to the floor in a disheveled mess. That was defiantly unusual he had made sure that the balcony wasn't able to open its doors on both the inside and the outside of those doors. And Celestine hadn't even tried to pry the doors open once; her scent hadn't even crossed to that side of the room until after the ball. "Rogue...there was a struggle here..." Sting whispered reaching for something on the near the nightstand as his hand came back covered in a liquid red. Rogue felt himself quiver in rage. It was a mockery to anyone who had been in the castle. "I was just here." He whispered. It was definitely a mockery. But at the same time, these people, who ever had done it, had over stepped their bounds by too far. They had taken something that belonged to him. Something precious to him, therefore he was going to annihilate each of them, personally._

"_There's a letter here." Artemis whispered picking it up carefully. "Aretmis, be careful of dangerous evidence." Sting said receiving a look for what he had covering his hand. Afterwards she only nodded and attempted to pry open the letter, slipping it from it's package. "It only says one thing with two lines." she whispered looking it over. "Anything's good, we just have to find her." Rogue felt a growl rising up within his throat. "Keep calm, we won't get anywhere if you of all people lose it." Sting said not setting the example of how to act himself, worry over Artemis being targeted next continuously flashed within his eyes. Rogue took the letter gritting his teeth as he read the letter. This was definitely someone who had been watching them for sometime from a close range distance. Discluding the greeting line in which was supposed to be witty in some way, addressed to Prince Rogue himself, the letter had only contained three small tiny little seeming less meaning words to anyone else:_

"_You let go."_

That situation had happened only yesterday. The castle of SaberTooth was practically in ruins when the three had attempted searching for Celestine. "We're going to find her, Rogue. This isn't like you." Sting stated laying a-crossed the couch as he twirled a frail flower within his hands plucking the petals one by one, until it was swiped carefully by Artemis who healed the petals before they could completely fall off. "I didn't know you could do that." Sting said staring towards the burnet who gave him a sharp look as if he wasn't taking the situation seriously enough. Earlier within the night the dragon slayer duo had completely trashed the castle on not one but two rampages for various reasons some for the same reasons and some reason were extremely different than the other's reasons. Either way both of the dragon slayers had trashed the castle making it even harder to find Celestine. Even if the attacker was currently hiding her within the castle walls. The attacker would probably easily make their escape in the morning if the castle was left in such disarray. "Only with little things, for now." Artemis replied as Sting nodded. The two were watching the younger prince of SaberTooth pace within the main gathering office of SaberTooth. "Are you sure you don't want to ask _him_?" Sting grumbled again. Rogue was too caught within himself attempting to figure out who knew Celestine, met her at the party, or had been watching Celestine all night such as a stalker would. It made his toes curl in anger that he hadn't even realized it when he had been with her all night that was something he should have noticed if she were in danger. "So what did this mean?" Sting asked pretending to be calm even though earlier in the night he had trashed a majority of the castle, had a fit, woke the entire castle up, sent them all back to bed, and slammed himself down upon the sofa sitting there with his hands grasped tightly that the muscles in his hands were bulging with their veins. It was the second time in the same day he couldn't protect someone that was about to become part of his family. Someone that was important. Dear. Close. Family-like. And Rogue still had a bigger fit that made the city fearful for several hours. It was going to be a rough day. "Are you sure that…that PhantomLord hasn't taken her back?" Artemis whispered causing a flashing glare of the red eyed dragon slayer to look towards her. "Why now? Why wait so long?" Someone had whispered words hanging within the air. Prince Gajeel had come earlier in the year to take her back believing that she was in danger but when he discovered she would be fine he left almost without a fight. No one else had come for her, not diplomatically, not even villainously; it was as if the entire Kingdom of PhantomLord had forgotten about her existence. And that was perfect. Gritting his teeth Rogue turned towards the door. "I'll ask him." Rogue whispered pressing down his pride.

"Gajeel." Rogue stated looking towards the prince who had been wandering around the hallways trying to determine the something that was amiss. Even with the huge amount of proportions in the dragon slayers' fits somehow they had managed to conceal the fact that something had happened. Most of the guest and city folk quickly assumed that their wonderful princes were dealing personally with the foe that had attacked the king. Of course, this would be the outcome this man was strong enough to injure the king to a critical level. "Ryos. It's about time you tell everyone that something's wrong. I have a hunch that what you guys are saying ain't what's going on." Gajeel sighed crossing his arms. Maybe it wasn't okay to ask him, his kingdom could've been the one to kidnap the girl. "No Rogue, if it was PhantomLord the people would only see that as rescuing the girl from us. Remember we are the ones who took her first." His father's voice echoed within his head as Rogue looked towards Gajeel again. That didn't matter anymore. Celestine belonged to _SaberTooth. _It was someone important to him. They couldn't have her even if she belonged their first. As he was suppressing the bitterness within his voice Rogue begun to speak. "Has PhantomLord taken Celestine?" Rogue felt the edge of a growl come off of his voice no matter how hard he had tried to suppress it. Gajeel glanced towards Rogue seeming as if he was shocked that such a question had happened. "I thought you said that you were able to take care of her." Gajeel glared towards him. "I did, and have been. Much better than you would have. You probably would've just told her to go sit or do something somewhere as long as she doesn't leave your corridor in the castle." Rogue countered causing Gajeel to be without words for only but a moment. "That's because it's the only safe place within the castle, especially when someone is out to kill them!" Gajeel replied. "But it is your castle, why have you let it come down to that! You've got to start taking responsibility for things like this! You can't have your whole life like this you'll never become king that way!" Prince Rogue shouted back hoping that a sense of responsibility would help with motivating Gajeel to tell him where Celestine really was. "What if the intention was to never become king?" Gajeel asked his eyes moving towards the window where several people were roaming around in the garden. "Never?" Rogue asked it was a new concept that he hadn't even thought of, a new way to escape this fate. "Levy. You do realize she's from the kingdom of Pyre correct? She runs a bookshop in Magnolia, takes herbs from her friends and delivers them to Cait Shelter. She's a busy woman that no one's really too sure where she comes from. A busy woman who has my heart." Gajeel said as Rogue nodded expecting a further explanation. "I can't just endanger her like that, marrying the king of PhantomLord? That would make her a target on every single street in every single city." Gajeel finished.

It made sense. The same would be for Celestine. He hadn't even considered it in the first place because not many people knew who Celestine was. She didn't venture out much. But he knew-he knew, he saw it. Deep in those eyes of her's there was a longing to just reach outside to open an extra window, to explore town. She had a wild heart that would want to walk every single street in the entire city just for an adventure. She had a wild heart kept in a cage. "If PhantomLord were to try to take her back….would they have a motive?" Rogue asked as Gajeel looked towards him. "I was looking through files the other day. That girl when she got here started displaying magic didn't she?" Gajeel questioned as Rogue nodded. "They kidnapped that girl 17 years ago exactly for that purpose." Gajeel sighed putting his hands on the railing. "What purpose?" Rogue growled back.

"She was to be used as a weapon of war."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I smiled taking my seat at the table nearest to King Jose next to Totomaru who ate in silence cutting his food roughly, almost as if he bore some ill-will towards it. I glanced back towards my food wondering if in a few days I would bare the ill-will most of the people at the table were baring towards their own food. That wasn't possible all of the food looked absolutely delicious. It tasted that way too. I felt myself reach for more food, receiving several strange looks before King Jose waved it off causing all of the onlookers to turn back to playing with their own meals.

Glancing down at the food I hoarded on my plate I began to saw it in the fashion everyone else was. I felt myself slowly glance up once again. The castle had a certain dark presence to it no matter which way I looked at the angle. There was something off about the castle and not that it was just poorly lit. "Is it always quiet during dinner?" I whispered wondering if anyone would respond. Totomaru on my right remained silent only pausing to eat momentarily before continuing on without answering. As King Jose begun to speak. "Well, it has been like this since the queen decided to take her leave sometime ago." Jose described as I nodded. "Anyway just continue eating, this is how the knights deal with it." Jose instructed as I nodded glancing down at the rest of the table. All of them were males who eat looked rather muscular and had a stone frown set upon each of their faces some looking softer than the next but a majority seeming as if they had seen plenty of hardships of their own. I glanced down at my plate feeling a tang of self-resentment that I had pried to hard into their personal lives. They probably lived somewhere outside of the castle too. "Celestine, how is your magic training going?" Jose asked suddenly as I looked at him. "I feel like I'm a whole lot better than I was yesterday! I don't even know how I was yesterday but I feel amazing!" I smiled back trying to put as much effort as I could into the words while the room spun around me. That was definitely exhaustion that was playing a role here. That had to be the reason we didn't practice until right before dinner. I sighed deciding not to intrude any further until most people had already left, Totomaru had been done eating for quite a while now as he repeatedly charred food along his plate. I felt a slight heat rise up my cheeks from embarrassment as I realized he was probably waiting for me to finish my meal so he could escort me back. I scarfed quickly upon the realization before standing up. "You know your way back, right?" Totomaru asked in a low voice as I nodded glancing at King Jose once whom nodded. "It seems as if Totomaru has something rather important to say to me." King Jose instructed as I nodded heading outside the doors. "It's about that girl isn't it?" King Jose murmured as I paused outside of the door. There was no way they would be talking about me. I smiled laughing to myself with a slight feeling in my heart wishing I could be invisible just to know what they were talking about. "Actually...another time, I've decided to walk her back after all." Totomaru growled standing up while dragging the chair out with him. I had already made it outside the door there was no way he'd know that I was so close still. I heard him annoying place the chair back by dragging it against the floor once again.

I felt an urge of panic trying to suppress it, it didn't matter if I was eavesdropping this was my castle no one would care. It didn't matter I lived here. I glanced towards the walls wondering if they always had done that thing where they rose up, it almost felt as if it were an intense elevator the floor driving me downwards. I braced myself against the wall waiting for the situation to stop as suddenly the door opened a few steps running out before I felt my face suddenly on the floor. When had I laid down to feel the carpet in my face? I glanced towards the feet that were hurrying towards me. Only faint whispers echoing. "Celestine! Celestine!"

"What's wrong with her?" A voice stated it was the same voice that had been calling me earlier until it faded. "It's not uncommon with the way her line looks, what she has is a magic deficiency syndrome that runs through her blood...she will always suffer the magic deficiency syndrome after using her magic from now on." A nurse whispered as I attempted glancing towards her slightly dizzy still and not able to open my eyes. "When she lived here first, she was my personal maid...I only realized shortly after she disappeared I should've made sure she lived better. She was always playing with...you know, before that accident. So I thought that this girl was personally fine.." It was Totomaru's voice that was whispering. "The complete opposite! This must've been the reason she was put under your care and no one else's as a maid." The nurse grumbled as if she knew something. Wait...a maid? She couldn't of meant me right? I was living as the princess of the castle surely a stumbling princess but I was one. There was no way they were talking about me. I blinked my eyes open slowly moving my hand to cover my eyes. "My everything hurts." I whispered barely choking out my words they felt so unnatural and strange. "You'll be fine, but you'll be here for a little while longer." Totomaru explained as I glanced towards him. "I feel like something's majorily wrong with me, or missing at least." I whispered feeling a lingering feeling as if I wanted to reach out and grab, touch, feel something that wasn't there. "It's important and it's not there." I whispered feeling tears well to my eyes as I shook them off something telling me not to cry in such a castle. Totomaru only turned away. "I am your teacher but once you are done learning magic and fighting you will have no usage left for me, do not treat me as if I were a friend. I shall not console you." Totomaru said rather coldly. As I nodded. Maybe that was just the way things went around here. "Does that mean you'll be sent off somewhere?" I whispered glancing towards him as the door opened suddenly with a slam pounding feet echoing in. I glanced towards the flash of eyes as they stared around the room. "Where is he?" A growl rolled from the man that was suddenly standing within the room as I sat myself up."Who?" The nurse whispered shakily her hands were shaking with a clipboard within her hands as she had walked back in the room once again. "You know exactly who i'm looking for." The voice growled back as the nurse nodded going to scamper out as suddenly Totomaru stood up. "I'll get him." Totomaru sighed heading out as he reached placing his hand upon this man's shoulder leaning over to whisper in his ear. "We're playing a very dangerous game here. Careful not to loose." I glanced back towards them once again wondering if he was loud when it came to whispering or if I was always extremely good at hearing.

I felt a curiosity towards the man who had just entered the room. He had the same eyes I kept seeing, and yet they were wrong. Those eyes were layered behind something that was dark and cold, pathetic even at the moment. As if no one could bring up the kindness that lurked behind those eyes. The eyes I had been looking for shown with a sort of pride, a mixture of compassion, and a form of happiness behind them with a little dusting of sadness as if some bird was locked up within a cage near the back of his mind that no one could reach. These eyes were extremely different than what I was looking for. I had to ask anyway. "Nurse." I whispered glancing towards her she had not been able to make an escape during the time Totomaru and the man were taking right outside the door. "Who was that man?" I whispered asking anyway as the nurse flinched turning to me, which was quickly followed by a sigh. "I guess you'll have to know eventually anyway." She started pulling up a chair and sitting down by the bed. "That man is Prince Gajeel of PhantomLord castle." She explained as I nodded wondering if there was more to explain or if she just wanted to sit down. She must have been standing for however long I was out. "You have plenty of questions don't you?" She asked as I nodded unsure which one to ask first. "I'm not sure there's anyone who can answer all of my questions." I murmured in reply feeling a pounding within my head. It was as if I was being blocked from something that was extremely important especially within my heart. "How long have I been here?" I asked as the maid blinked her eyes. "Well...you grew up here...you left for a bit then came back three days ago with your memories missing." She answered as I nodded realizing suddenly a piece didn't make sense, Jose had said I was adopted or something and now she was saying I grew up here. The nurse glanced towards the door reaching into her pocket quickly. "Don't open this until you're alone...don't tell anyone what you find in here either. I'm not supposed to give you this but I feel it's important that you know of it." The nurse whispered as I took the book slowly wondering how she knew if I would keep my word or not when I hadn't remembered anything not even my name for the last several days. I nodded placing it into a purse on the nightstand near the bed somehow knowing it was mine.

"So what happened to me?" I asked glancing towards the nurse. "You discovered a magic you were never supposed to have." The nurse whispered standing up and leaving as Totomaru entered the room once again. "If your magic does that, there's no point in teaching you such a thing, it'll get you killed." Totomaru coughed sitting down on the chair where the nurse once was as he pulled out a square pack pulling out a small hand held cylinder from there. I glanced towards the package my intuition whispering "hazardous material". "Put that down." I felt my voice come out as if it was something that wasn't even mine. Totomaru glanced up towards me a fire lit at the end of his finger as he was about to lite the cylinder up suddenly pausing as if he had heard something unusual. I flinched I hadn't even been expecting him to respond, at least some witty retort followed up quickly by proceeding with whatever action he was doing, instead he had stopped and was looking at me as if he had seen something he had lost an extremely long time ago. "What did you just say?" He asked as I felt a pounding within my head. "I thin-I said to put it down! I don't want something like that around my room." I said suddenly as he placed it down upon his lap with a fair amount of grumbling. "Don't complain until you've been through what I've been through. The minute i'm out of here it's going to be lit up." Totomaru grumbled, I glanced towards him scrutinizing him closely for the first time. He had seemed pretty healthy upon first glance, I felt my eyes linger towards what he was still holding in his hand on his lap, and then back to scrutinizing him once again. Under his eyes were slightly drooped. "It'll give you the disadvantage if you're ever attacked, it'll make you fall ill." I whispered as Totomaru let out a puff of laughter which was followed by ashes seemingly formed by his magic from the slightest bit of anger of having to put whatever was in his hand down. "No one told you that _**wasn't**_ my intention now did they?" He laughed back, the laugh was hollow, as if it was some form of joke. "I feel like you aren't actually laughing." I whispered I only received a sigh from him, his finger was twitching as if he was trying to leave as quickly as possible so he could escape from my sight to light the cylinder on fire. "Is that something you use when you've been through a lot of stress?" I asked glancing towards the mysterious object that seemed to suddenly have his mind preoccupied. "I'm not addicted if that's what you're asking." Totomaru growled accidentally squishing the cylinder in between his fingers a flash of anger lit a crossed his eyes as he did so. Reaching almost hesitantly to pull out another from the cardboard box he was holding. "You should go back to your room, sometimes curiosity isn't what's best for you." He sighed. "What about the people around you?" I asked watching him stand up as he shook his head. "That's the problem. The people are here, aren't the people you should worry yourself about." He said as I gave him a curious look only to get a headshake that meant "no" in reply as he headed towards the door. I knew I probably wasn't going to get an answer right then and there.

"I'm still going in there and talking to her though." A voice growled from outside as Totomaru looked at someone while trying to leave, I pulled my feet out of bed touching the cold floor. "That's not the best thing to do." Totomaru sighed in reply looking as if he wasn't actually telling whoever was standing outside the door no. "This is my castle, I'll do what I want." A voice growled sounding as if it's only point was rebellion. I glanced up towards the red eyes that I had seen flash earlier. "Celestine!" A loud voice shouted as the door slammed open the voice sounded angry almost strange as suddenly the man's face became suddenly softer, a brief dusting of confusion upon it, and a slight mist of happiness. "Gajeel!" Totomaru shouted seeming as if he were lecturing as he swung around almost reaching to stop Gajeel. "I didn't think you guys actually left the poor girl alive." Gajeel smiled a hand over his face. "What do you mean? Who are you?" I asked as Gajeel glanced at Totomaru. "The card you play is the same position as when you left this castle, but to you she is your younger sister." Totomaru sighed as a look of rejection came acrossed Gajeel's face. "I'm going to talk to Jose, his games have always been quite interesting that's why I didn't say anything, but now this has gone to far." Gajeel growled turning around and leaving. "Don't mind your older brother, he's a little delirious right now." Totomaru said heading out of the room. For a moment it almost seemed as if Totomaru was taking within third person just for a moment as if I was seen as someone else before I realized he was probably talking about Gajeel. "Is Gajeel my older brother?" I asked as Totomaru glanced at me, a step to the right outside the door, and than leaving. I took the answer as a yes since Gajeel didn't use a title or honorific when talking about Jose. But at the same time he didn't call him father or anything just "Jose" and left.

I sighed finally removing myself from the room wondering what time of day it really was as I glanced outside the castle remembering earlier when I had been drowning that even the light from the sun echoed through the water was polluted. I put my hands upon the window ledge glancing outside to what was more than likely probably our kingdom. It was a series of poor looking broken down houses. I felt my teeth move to bite my bottom lip. That wasn't right if we were living here like this. Our civilians shouldn't of been living like that, even especially after the huge feast we had had last night. "Princess Celestine! Kin-g J-Jose-e, you-r-r f-father has sent us a letter, he wants you to go wait in the castle's highest chamber. There's someone there he would like you to meet." A person said covered in armor said coming out of the hallway as I nodded. I nodded hiking my dress up as I continued to walk only than realizing how marvelously long it really was. "Where is that?" I asked glancing back towards the knight who was already gone. I sighed continuing the walk if they thought I knew the way they probably either forgot about my memory or it was an extremely easier way to get to. I found myself hoping that it was the latter. I glanced towards a staircase that rounded up several flights my heart pounding within my chest as I watched the floor slowly disappear upon each step forwards. "Hello?" I whispered my hand suddenly gripping the railing as I opened the final door walking into an open-faced balcony as wind swished all around blowing my dress so that I was able to see my ankles. "Oh Princess Celestine?" A voice asked as I nodded opening my right eye slowly that had been closed shut from the sudden shock of wind. I glanced towards the single man standing in front of me. He had long blonde hair, some it combed messily in front of his face but just enough to look like it was the newest fad, while the rest of it extended down to his knees as he glanced at me with his emerald eyes that were littered in specks of blue. "Yes, that's me. May I pry on who is asking?" I asked curiously. "My name is Maricus." He said his voice picking up an accent in such a way I felt as if my toes were curling. I gulped unsure if that was a good or bad sign. "King Jose...he has always entrusted you to me." He explained as I glanced at him confusedly. "What?" I asked confused as Maricus took a step closer and then took a step back again. He seemed almost hesitant as if he was planning on saying something. "When we were younger...I made a deal with King Jose...a deal that if you didn't die before your seventeenth year, you managed to unlock your power as a dragon slayer, and upon that year I could make you fall in love with me. I could marry you." He stated as I felt a pulse echo within my chest.

It wasn't something I wanted, I hadn't even known this man. "Have we met before?" I asked my voice shaking as I stared at him as he shook his head 'no'. "You wouldn't have known...we only met a couple times when we were little. I wasn't allowed to meet with you anymore after sometime, but I...I kept hoping that you knew of me still." Marcius explained as I shook my head 'no' backing away very slowly. Something felt very wrong there. Something wasn't right. I shook my head backing away slowly. "Celestine, please listen to me...I want you to listen to me carefully." Maricus said quickly grabbing my right hand pulling me back towards him as I shook my head. "There's only one reason he would actually keep his promise." Maricus said his grip tightening on my hand suddenly as I glanced towards his darkening eyes. The castle suddenly shook, bright lights sparkling a crossed the sky, followed by loud explosions, I glanced towards the castle bricks upon the walls which were suddenly blasted off my eyes following the shattered stones. "I thought so." Maricus shouted his grip tightening upon my wrist. As we begun running _through _where the fire was coming at us instead of back through the door in which I had just came out of. "You're blazing mad!" I screamed glancing down towards the militants who had gathered outside of our castle. "He can't have you!" He shouted from ahead of me his hair long enough to probably hide that I was even there as it surrounded me. "Hand-to-hand combat is probably hard like this." I shouted attempting to talk although muffled a combination of hair and wind. "Nah, you learn to live with it. Actually it's my advantage now." He smiled as I nodded my eyes going back to the militants all gathered below. "Are they trying to kill us?" I whispered brushing aside what was said almost moments earlier. "No, Celestine...it's worse." Maricus answered opening a door at the end of the path that was somehow majorily important to get to. "I don't understand how?" I asked suddenly being shoved into the door, the entire place looked as if it was designed as if it were a room. I whipped myself back to Maricus who had a frail smile upon his face. "I won't let SaberTooth have you. I've worked too hard and too long to keep your safe and alive. They can't have you, **especially **if it's just for your power." Maricus smiled shutting the door as I felt my eyes widen in confusion my hands gripping my purse tightly.

"_Click"_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I glanced at the wooden door lined with metal barricades as the door made a clicking sound. I felt a pulse of panic echoing throughout my entire being. I swung around running towards the door as I pounded on it. "Stupid door!" I growled repeatedly trying to pound it down in all sorts of ways. "If you were back at fighting strength that door would be broken by now!" Marcius shouted a sound of metal being removed from a sheath. "What are you doing?" I shouted in an array of confusion while still beating upon the door. "What if there's a fire? Let me out!" I shouted glaring towards the door wishing I could burn it down getting to Marcius on the other side. "I'll be right outside throughout this entire battle." Marcius's voice replied as I felt a frown form upon my lips. The castle was still shaking I should've been out helping everyone.

"That's not fair they're out there!"

"They're fighting for you! Stay in there!"

i sighed glancing towards the purse upon the desk, sliding down my back towards the door, it was so tempting to walk over towards where that little brown booklet was. To page throughout the pages of the book with it's hidden secrets. The castle shook once again the sound of something breaking within the sky and several stones on the edges of the castle shattering. I glanced towards the book that lay upon the table once again. It seemed so familiar. I stood up moving towards it as I slid my fingers down the book taking in it's soft texture it was almost a luxurious poorly beaten up book. My fingers itched to open it and so I did. Allowing my fingers to pry the small book open with it's sturdy lock. Upon the pages in tiny neat words there lay a story of a young girl's short life.I glanced through the pages quickly realizing that it had only gone half way threw the book the rest of the pages remaining blank. The blank remains of the book filling up my curiosity as I glanced over the pages. Quickly I moved back to next to the door deciding to read the booklet until the door was opened again when I would charge out the door slipping out right in front of Marcius face. That would be what I would do. I felt my eyes linger back towards the pages which contained the tiny words:

"The days here are long and dark. Faces are changing around us constantly. There are only two consistent faces I know of. Juvia and Levy. Juvia says she was sent upon a mission and from afar saw the most beautiful man who had radiated of ice and snow. When she tells the other maids they giggle as if not taken her seriously although she goes on proudly talking of him."

I paused my reading feeling a smile come to my face surely it was young love. That's what this was, I could feel it within my heart somewhere that the write of this book was quite young when they had begun to write. Continuing I paged throughout the pages.

"The changing of the leaves is coming soon. During this time Prince Gajeel has seemingly offered to watch over Prince Rogue. he's only a year older than me and I had seen him several times throughout the castle. They both have the same eyes and hair. Mistaking them for brothers must be something easy for the people outside our humble home. I actually talked to Prince Rogue in person, well sort of, the other day. I was walking through our garden when one of the huge ceiling vases fell. He had saved my life with his magic. The weird part is after I had been caught mystified by it and called it beautiful he became slightly enraged. Although he was looking at the top balcony and not me, he stormed off before I could even ask him. Probably to go fix the vase with the assumption I broke it. Sigh, well I guess it won't work out too well for now since he's mad. I'll probably say something to Totomaru or something...or not, he doesn't pay much mind to me when i'm randomly talking when I bring him food. He seems to be constantly lost in thought about something. He also tends to talk to himself it's as if he see's some sort of ghost. A ghost that's a small child "

I glanced down at each simple word wondering if it was the ideals of a lovestruck maiden. I glanced down once again continuing before I had left off.

"I'll probably say something to Totomaru or something...or not, he doesn't pay much mind to me when i'm randomly talking when I bring him food. He seems to be constantly lost in thought about something. He also tends to talk to himself it's as if he see's some sort of ghost. A ghost that's a small child how I treat that situation depends upon his mood. Usually I'll just go along with it other times I'm a little worried about him. I feel as though there used to be someone who was living within the castle walls who I had also found important. But this book wasn't giving to me until she was long gone so there was no way I'd be able to know such things. It feels as if i'm missing something but I still go on without wondering or questioning. King Metalicana disappears a lot, it's becoming as if Jose would be in charge. Most maids don't even remember that Metalicana was the king other than the remainder of him, Prince Gajeel, roaming around the castle. They say Jose is a very dangerous person towards our kingdom becoming even worse when Metalicana is away, Metalicana takes all of his soldiers with him when the go upon a mission. During each mission, every time they leave one of the maids turns to me, it matters not who since it's almost always a different one. Their eyes are all pale and afraid with a strange echo in them and they bring themselves down to my level and whisper "beware the knights living in the castle **now**. They only know ways of the night." Than they would continue on leaving as if nothing had ever happened. Each maid back to their daily duties."

The script paused dragging a long line, an ink line permanently imprinted upon the paper, before continuing once again.

"It's been a couple days now and the younger prince is still residing within our castle. He roams around distancing himself from people. Especially women, he has the tendency to move himself away from anyway of the opposite gender as if something tormenting has formed once again in his own mind. Not many words were said but it was as if he was trying to convey something. Even one night when I was serving dinner, since no one out of the other maids let me cook I get to serve dinner, well when I was serving dinner one of the knights were trying desperately to stop me for some reason. It was the first night that I had heard Prince Rogue speak up when one of the knights grabbed the bow around my waist Prince Rogue spoke up, saying that if they needed anything surely to ask a prince for a favor wouldn't be a problem, as he slowly opened his eyes that looked as if they were rubies containing the more fearsom-est of battles within the gems giving a look that made the knights quiver backwards letting go of the ribbon I wore around my waist as did many other maids. I had never felt so relieved, after being told so often to fear such knights, all's I could feel was fear vibrating through my unsteady hands."

I paused glancing down at words that were displayed with such honesty and innocence. Surely what would be passing through this girl's mind would be surely entrapped within this person's web without even trying when they were older if he kept acting in such a way. A person with no reason to say something and hadn't said something within days, why would he suddenly speak up for her? I felt myself gulp ready to turn the page, hearing a crackle of a sound outside. "Maricus?" I asked as if I was just calling past the door as if this was a normal occasion. "Totally fine, even found myself a chair to wait for the intruders and everything!" Marcius replied, it sounded as if he was out of breath in a way. "Are you okay?" I asked getting no reply for several moments as I heard swords clash. "Yeah, fine, fine! It's just the knights downstairs! Do me a favor since they have a large amount of hearing and don't make a sound. Even though you're behind that door it's still not safe if you speak!" Marcius replied as I felt the need to relitate instead becoming quite and peering back into the book I was given. I sighed turning the pages within the book once again.

"Prince Rogue hasn't been seen in a couple days. When we ask Prince Gajeel he simply says 'let him go' or 'he'll be back when he feels like it' but not a drop of concern. Each of us has started going through our daily routines once again as if he was never there. I worked up the guts to ask where Prince Rogue has gone and finally got an answer 'where he belongs, forget about him...for now.' was Prince Gajeel's answer towards me. It was strange that Gajeel had answered me, but not unusual. He seemed to answer slowly towards me if only I really wanted to know the question but no other time. Lately I've been noticing when I'm with Levy in the garden that he's been watching over the gardens themselves. Maybe it's because of the giant flower vases that break on occasion since they seem to be getting old."

I smiled turning to the next page which was blank, the next page, and the next page each were the same. They were all the same, blank. I sighed ready to close the book as the pages flipped closed carefully as I slowly closed the book until the last page covered in a strange colored ink caught my eye. There was just a single page written there. "_On the night the last flower vase broke your power emerged. We are not sure if they were trying to kill you with the flower vases or suppressing your power but mostly likely it tis' the first guess that they were trying to kill you." _I felt myself bite my lip wondering if this letter was intended towards me. _"You are not the village's princess...no princess would want such a foul kingdom as this, you should try to flee while you can.." _The writing was in script and neat, almost as if it was some form of art. An art that probably kept them alive with such the frantic presence of writing of the letter. I felt the intensity and power of the letter echoing through my chest as if something was wrong. Something wasn't exactly right here, I knew that, what was it...what was it? I glanced at the door hearing a sudden thump hit the floor. "That's not right...there was no one else in here." My mind whispered looking at the crack threw the door before blacking out.

*** Rogue's P.O.V. ***

Glancing around the young prince looked at territory that should've been unfamiliar, and yet, yet this territory was covered in forbidden memories that were anything but joyful. The place was now something that was a recollection of blood and poor memories. Something that most did not want to remember. Their own poor memories, especially of a castle that seemed as if it was out of a mass murderer's own bedtime horror stories. The halls decorated within their dark decor, and the dudgeons decorated in their bloodstained masses. The prince felt a frown deepen within his face as he gave a signal for his troops to turn back. The pile of the bodies was something that would see eventually, but that wasn't something he wanted his troops to see if he didn't find it absolutely necessary. "What the matter?" Rufus asked walking up towards him as he suddenly understood the signal. The young prince had decided to go all out, taking someone from the village, much more someone important to him was an official declaration of war. Especially in his mind. "Get the one's who can best grind their teeth to bury everyone in here...once we're done with this mission." Rogue whispered as Rufus nodded. "Of course...this...shall be something I will do my best to forget." Rufus muttered. Rogue felt himself glance at Rufus for a moment, but only but a moment, the temptation of telling Rufus to memorize such a scene so that he would be able to kill him if he had ever become mad with power. That was what Jose definitely was now, he was insane with power. "Do not worry, _she _will keep you from your own insanity." Rufus whispered as Rogue nodded. The slight whispers echoing throughout the hallways as Rogue wondered if those words were referring to Celestine or to his own mother. Rogue grinded his teeth remembering the incident that happened to his own mother as a white glow came from the halls. Two of SaberTooth's members were already in battle, both dragon slayers. Artemis was quick to make a strategy to come along with them, as her name and loyalty entailed, she would one day probably be an expert upon battle strategies. At a time like this he would have sent Yukino ahead to investigate all of the situations throughout the castle, but the problem with that was. She wasn't even with the fleet instead she was at home mandating the castle.

"Rufus, have you pinpointed Celestine's location yet?" Rogue asked waiting for an answer from his best advisor as Ogra's magic shook the entire castle as if it were in the middle of some giant electrical storm. "Give me some more time, this castle is actually a ton bigger than it looks. They seem to be hiding something several layers underneath the castle." Rufus murmured as Rogue sighed. "How many layers?" Rogue asked. "There's ten more layers underneath where a normal basement would start." Rufus replied as Rogue nodded impatiently acknowledging that finding Celestine would take time. "Should I tell the back of the pack to search it?" Rufus asked he was still searching and hadn't bothered to glance him a single look. "I don't feel like she is that way...but at the same time, I'll ask Sting to go that way." Rogue sighed as Rufus nodded eyes still shut as he looked, things like this always took at least a little bit of time. As the two dragon slayers ran out of the room seeming as if they were playing running down the hall being chased by guards. "Sting, the lower parts of the castle." Rogue said as Sting nodded. "You've got it!" Sting laughed swinging around with a swift kick towards all of the guards' faces. "Sting you're going to get someone hurt!" Artemis shouted hiking up her dress just enough to chase after th older prince who laughed. "I won't let anyone hurt you! Nobody's going to touch my wife!" Sting's voice shouted causing a blush to creep out of Artemis's cheeks. "She's in the top tower." Rufus explained. "Classic,I'll be going to the tower. Take the guards and trash the dining hall. Send _king_ Jose a message, one that he won't forget." Rogue growled as Rufus nodded taking the rest of the fleet away with him as the young prince stormed higher into the castle. Rogue glanced towards the several pathways in the hallway one was definitely leading towards Gajeel's room, the one was behind him from where he had just come from, the third way towards what was currently being used as Jose's room. The smells were prominent and secure while the third pathway that stretched out directly in front of him had a faded familiar scent. "So lover boy is capable of walking through the entire war zone, bodies on the floor, blood on his feet and all without even noticing a thing or blinking an eye. It's quite impressive actually." Jose's voice echoed it sounded as if he were smiling. Rogue glanced towards the imposter king leaning against the wall with a look that would have killed someone. "What do I owe this visit to my humble home for?" Jose smiled. "Surely, it isn't to kidnap Celestine. You must remember that girl belongs to us. She grew up here. I've already set up some lawyers for us if you want to argue that girl out." Jose smiled. "Jose, you had not intentions towards the girl until that day you tried to kill her, even after that your intentions were little and poor." Rogue replied as a laugh came from Jose. "I made sure that girl had a friend in such dungeons, I made sure everyone in her dudgeons was getting enough food even when other more important people were getting neglected. I even watched over that girl like she was my own daughter." Jose laughed. "What have you done for that girl? She didn't even realize that you were always watching her in your poorly made shadows as a child, her memory is short. Why would she remember someone such as you?" Jose laughed as Rogue felt his hand tighten, these were questions that he had been asking himself for years. That girl hadn't even acknowledged him even though he was always there. "She acknowledges me now. What is your point fake king?" Rogue asked as Jose seemed as if he looked appalled.

"I'm not a fake-"

"We both know the only reason Gajeel hasn't taken over the kingdom is for Levy, and the only reason he hadn't chosen Levy was for Levy. If he leaves this place will turn into a war zone and your first degree will be attack the traitor prince. It's better to have one of the royal family on your side when you start than have everyone against you. I was born a prince these strategies are nothing new to me."

"Isn't that why your mother died?"

There was a silence in the room as shadows begun swirling impatiently reading to take out such a monster. "My mother died, because she was protecting me. No other reason." The answer was short but hesitant. "Oh right the report. Assassin's broke in within the mist of night, motive unclear. But during the night two of the royals were cornered-" Jose begun stating as if he had bothered memorizing the report of how his mother had perished, he didn't need the lecture it was to the point he had memorized the thing. Besides he had already been threw it, he didn't need any report to explain what had happened in a twisted version without feelings to him. It had been a rough night for everyone they had all been arguing and his mother was going one by one trying to fix everything. When she made it to him, she entered the room smiling slightly trying to explain something he didn't understand at the time to him and which would be quickly blurred out by the panic. Her hair had turned silver that night, it wasn't exactly silver it was just the glow from the outside moon that changed her hair color to appear silver as beautiful as the sparkling sky. She was standing talking to him when a hand suddenly grabbed her. It was an intruder. Rogue grinded his teeth she shouldn't of been in there ill and lacking the ability to use magic currently. All's he could remember was glancing at the shiny knife nestled around her neck when shadows suddenly went everywhere. In the next several moments there was blood everywhere, people were lying on the floor, the knife was gone, a bloody hand in front of him upon his mother's arm shaking her and a child was screaming at the top of his lungs for his mother to get up. Soon he would realize that it was his voice when Weisslogia broke the door down. "You poor unlucky child." He would say with Sting clinging to his father's leg looking past the door.

"The report concludes accidental homicide in attempt to rescue the hostage. Therefore Prince Rogue has killed his own mother with his vitally dangerous magic shall now be moved to PhantomLord to prevent any further traumatization until he is able to handle coming home." Jose laughed he had been the one to read the report and Meltalcana had been the one to agree and bring him over. When Metalicana disappeared everything was said to become progressively worse, but he was already long gone by than. Many had told him that Celestine had already become part of the causalities to him it was amazing when she met him out on the street that first night. Even if she was surrounded by bandits trying to take her life. He became responsible to make sure she lived that very moment he discovered she was still alive. "Poor, poor, Weisslogia. It seems the foolish Skiadrum left him an idiot as a son. With such grotesque magic, I bet that'll wind up killing his mistress Celestine too now won't it?" Jose laughed as suddenly Jose felt the back of his head being pounded into the wall. "Take it back." The shadow dragon growled as a smile emerged underneath his hand from the fake king. "Take what back?" Jose laughed. "We're in the middle of the war, I'm sure I'll be forgiven for killing a fake king. Sabertooth has the resources to make this kingdom better, no one will hold a grudge against a king trying to make amendments." Rogue growled. "Those eyes are becoming dangerous weapons, is that mistress of your's really all that to the point she can look into that murderous intent without hesitation?" Jose laughed gloating towards the young prince whom was brimming full of his own anger. "I told you to take it back. Take it back and lick my shoes, beg for my forgiveness and I _might not_ brutally injure you beyond repair." Rogue glared. "It's so rare to see you brimming with emotions I just want to see them all. I guess sure, but the question is did you want me to take back that I called you stupid? Maybe you're ignorant mother foolish? How about your hoar a mistress?" Jose laughed as suddenly Rogue made a move thrashing Jose into the floor. "Five seconds, give me a reason to _not _kill you." Rogue growled as Jose looked at him. "One I could kill you. Two, it would be better to have other relations under my thumb when I steadily increase my power. And three? The guard I left up there is a human-slave trafficker." Jose smiled releasing himself from Rogue's grip and leaning towards his ear. "And even they sometimes want to play. She's missing her memory due to something she drank, and we both know that his favorite type is the confused and scared" Jose whispered quietly, quickly, and with quite a sadistic edge to it. Rogue felt himself move without thought as he let go of the throat of the step-in king moving towards the castle stairs without a single thought as suddenly there was a thrashing sound from behind him. "Not in my castle! Rogue I expected more out of you!" Gajeel's voice shouted as Rogue looked over his shoulder the step-in king having a weapon aimed towards him being held steady by Prince Gajeel. "Are you betraying your kingdom Gajeel?!" Jose shouted as he was suddenly thrown. "I am the kingdom's decisions, when I betray the kingdom. The entire kingdom comes with me to the point I made the choice and not a betrayal." Gajeel smiled. "Don't think I haven't planned for this! I've made spies in Sabertooth to attack Artemis once the news reaches them that I have been attacked, and Levy will surely die! I sent spies claiming that you sent them to protect her from the dangers of Sabertooth." Jose laughed suddenly receiving a punch in the face. "Salamander said something smelled different about those guards. They reeked of you, you don't think dragon slayers can figure out something that stupid?" Gajeel growled giving him a look as if he were just about to die. "Artemis will be fine." Rogue said cooly. "How do you know?" Jose laughed seeming unconvincing from underneath Gajeel's foot. "Because, Sting promised her." Rogue said spinning back to climbing the stairs with such a disasterly pace until he reached the top glancing at the line of guards. Not a single one of them contained a scent. Walking quickly Rogue paced threw each of the guards, they were all illusions to make him leave this place with fear as he reached towards the chained and barred door reaching up to knock instead the door shattering into billions of pieces when he knocked.

Rogue felt his eyes scan over the room scrutinizing each part of the room until he found something familiar seeming towards the end of the room within the corner. "I kind of figured you'd come to soon, trying to take her from me aren't you?" A blonde with a punk-rock style hair cut looked up with a sadistic look on such an angle it was suspicious even the way that man held himself. "I guess we should stick with a more comfortable topic for now. Like why do you think female dragon slayers are targeted more often than male ones? I already know the answer, It's a trick question, but I want to know how much you truly know." The man smiled a teenage female hidden inside that man's arms with a pale pink dress on. "Pay attention to me or I might have to start paying attention to her too. I've already noticed this handy little claim upon her." The knight of PhantomLord laughed holding a red diamond shape which was dangling on a chain up between his fingers chucking it towards him. "It was supposed to protect her from any robbers right?" The knight laughed his hands sliding back around Celestine. "Let her go. She is part of Sabertooth now." Rogue explained as the knight rolled his eyes. "Doesn't even ask my name and is already throwing out demands, how can such a pretty girl like you marry this guy?" The knight glanced towards the unconscious Celestine. "I"ll give you a hint to my first question, it's the same reason Celestine was kidnapped as a child." the knight laughed his hands moving down where they weren't supposed to be causing Rogue to move forwards. "Not-uh, you only get to move forwards when you answer the right questions, I get to move when you don't answer quick the way this room is concealed with magic that could kill you, it's like a game." the knight laughed insinuatingly. "I'll give you another chance for the first question, why is it that female dragon slayers are considered more valuable than male dragons slayers?" The knight laughed. "They're more rare to be alive than a male dragon-slayer for every three male dragon slayers there's only a single female dragon slayer alive." Rogue explained as the knight sighed. "And?"

Rogue gritted his teeth this was no time to be "playing games" or being treated like some man's form of entertainment. "What are you doing?" Rogue asked as he watched the knight move. "You didn't answer the question quick enough so it was my turn to make a move." The knight smiled a smile that would've sent shivers down anyone on the streets spines as that foul man begun speaking again. "I saw a something that I thought I'd replace with my own mark." The knight laughed pulling the collar of her dress down to slowly reveal the hickey he had given her, dragging his tongue slowly down towards her Rogue felt himself move swiftly punching the knight in the face to the point the force caused the knight to be slammed back towards the wall shattering the wall the the point the knight was stuck within the cement. As an electrical feeling skyrocketed within his joints. "You moved without answering." The man laughed as Rogue felt a murderous intent boil within his chests two strong steady arms suddenly wrapped around his armpits. "I don't know what happened but I know if you kill this man you'll probably regret it for the rest of your life!" A faraway voice screeched as he shook his head. "No, this is what I want right now." He told himself not realising that he had been shouting it. "My little brother is no murder!" Sting's voice was loud and clear, the words that Rogue had been hoping for ever since he was a child were finally being said out loud and yet he couldn't stop himself from feeling the boiling point of rage as he reached for the man wanting to kill him. "We'll bring him back to Sabertooth, we'll put him in our worst cell. He'll suffer a fate worse than death if that's what you wish for. But I won't let my little brother soil his hands with such nonsense!" Sting's voice shouted his arms tightly wrapped around his brother as Sting's heels pushed against the floor fighting his brother to not kill the man in front of him. "Fine, she comes first." Rogue whispered sliding his hands underneath Celestine as he picked her up bridal style carrying her out of the castle.

***Celestine's P.O.V.* **

I felt my eyes slide open looking up towards a dark figure. I glanced up towards shining familiar red ruby eyes which were looking off in the distance towards nothing but seeming as if they were in such deep thought it was almost disturbing. My hand was already reaching up towards the man who glanced down at me. There was something almost sorrowful and empty within his gaze. "Ryos...are you okay?" The voice echoed from within myself as I slowly sat up wondering what had happened as suddenly I felt his warm embrace his hands wrapped around my waist the other around my head. A soft noise coming from him, I felt myself flinch unsure what the noise was before I realised it. He was crying. I felt my unsteady hands reach up to hug him unsure what had just happened yet at the same time acknowledging him. Men didn't cry in front of people, especially princes, unless they really trusted these people. "I'm sorry Celestine. I'm so sorry...

These hands struggle with it. But I promise to do my best.

To protect what's important."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I blinked my eyes open slowly watching as guards circled around the castle securing the edges and all places upon the castle. "Rogue where are we?" I whispered carefully glancing around the room as Rogue glanced down towards me quickly continuing on with his conversation as if to say pretend to still be asleep. I closed my eyes slowly waiting for a gesture that said that I could move without being within any danger. Footsteps stomped in and out quickly without any form of hesitation as if they were being called to action without a doubt in their own mind or robots designed to respond to the program that had been administered. "We've found all of their lead guard posts and brought them here." A voice said, it was a stern and war torn voice that didn't lack the slightest of boldness. "Please give me a list of names for each of them." Rogue sighed as a ruffle of paper was handed over. "Why would you need that? You used to live here didn't you?" A gruff voice laughed, it was Prince Gajeel. "It is a traditional honor to collect such names and so I did. Plus, it'd be best if I had a list of your names to write the crimes next to. No innocent should be punished as no criminal should go unpunished." Rogue answered quickly as gruff sighs came out from each of the people that were apparently brought before us. I felt my nails dig into a texture as my first impulse was thinking it sounded like the start of the mass killing that existed during the beginning of PhantomLord's punishments where _no one _ever had escaped. I felt out my surroundings it felt as if I were laying upon a couch with my head resting upon his leg while he was sitting straight up on the couch. "Names?" Sting's voice it sounded as if he was standing behind us. "Right, I'll read them off one by one, each of you are to go up to the center of the room. Present your name and argument. We all understand how this works correct?" Rogue's voice sounded terribly strange as I braced myself ready to listen to the slaughter that would probably range throughout the entire castle as this rate. That wasn't what I wanted, not a castle filled with blood because it was my fault.

I heard the first footsteps walk up towards the stands a chain clinking. I felt my heart pulse feeling fuelling my need to peak slightly threw my own eyes. "_Jose, former king's advisor._" A voice spoke loud and booming silencing the room. I felt my head begin to pound in fear as I listened to the man begin to list his crimes.

"Don't say it."

"Don't say it."

"Don't say it."

"Don't say it."

"Don't say it."

"Don't say it."

"Don't say it."

"Don't say it."

"Don't say it."

My head pounded over and over while my lips trembled with fear as he listed on his crimes to our country.

"I conquered this country and kept each of them all under my total control once Metalicana disappeared! Someone should be proud of me I even managed to tame our ruffian prince!" Jose had been laughing hysterically as he listed all of the things he had done not even bothering to hide them any more. I felt my teeth grit preparing to move to look at the monster. "Oh yeah I think a couple weeks ago I almost killed the _princess _Artemis before she was a princess or would she be a queen now? Well anyway continuing on right before that I slaughtered some maids out of boredom and found it utterly hilarious almost ironic even that the next one offered her life up! So what was I do to? Tell her she couldn't save the only person in the world that her best friend had been looking for since the beginning of time?" Jose laughed maniacally as I felt myself begin to shake struggling to suppress tears. It had only been an assumption up until now, but now I was sure of it, Jose had killed Juvia. And only for fun. I was about to sit up when I felt a hand placed on my head stroking threw my hair, I waited for the whisper "it's going to be alright, It'll be fine." but those words never came. "Oh right! I missed something! Other than that day I sent criminals to kill Gajeel's personal maid, or Levy if they so pleased, I had Celestine kidnapped as a baby. The only reason behind that was I was hoping to raise the girl into a weapon of death. Such a pity when she grew up so docile and little ability control on her own powers." Jose finished before abruptly finishing in what seemed like insane laughter covering up a form of denial, a thud on the floor, and the sound of chains of him being dragged away.

I breathed slowly, no one had even bothered coming to a verdict there. It was alright. I didn't need to know, not yet at least, all's I wanted was _that thing _out of the room. I felt a sigh of relief that I hadn't realized I was holding in come out of me. "Are you okay with staying there?" Rogue whispered suddenly as I peaked my eye open at him. "It's not the most comfortable of positions." I sighed towards him looking up through his hand placed in my hair. "Will you be alright staying there for the next few people?" He asked as I nodded. "But why do I have to pretend to be asleep?" I sighed as Rogue gave me a piteous look so I glared back towards him. "Because, this way you are capable of staying in the room while I investigate the people here are still wary of women having too much information. Someone might try to attack you." Rogue sighed. "That's sexism..it's got to change." I felt my voice shake and fall to a murmur as I remembered that it had always been that way. Out of the corner of my eye I could see two rows of at least a ton to twenty people on each side of the corridor forming a line that extended from the main doorway, we had to be in the coronation hall. I sat up leaning against his shoulder and pretended to fall asleep again as the main doors opened, a few sets of food steps. It sounded as if only one person was within the room. The room was quiet but a different kind of quiet from when Jose entered the room almost as a form of respect. "I hear that each of the higher ranking soldiers are to be interviewed." A voice whispered as I felt the urgency of the need to peek to see who it was struggling to maintain the act of sleeping. Murmurs becoming louder and louder as the solider's steps echoed down the long hallway.

"What is your crime?"

"I couldn't realize or protect what was truly precious to me in time."

The room was silenced once again taking in what had just been stated moving many hearts. "It turns out you were under a spell to think that Princess Celestine was actually your little sister." A voice echoed as I could hear Totomaru grit his teeth. "For a while, yes, but at the same time when the spell broke...I couldn't let it go, I hated looking at that girl for not being her I was hoping for my redemption right there and yet it wasn't my redemption. I hated her and I wanted her near at the same time. I found myself driven mad returning to Jose constantly to demand the return of my younger sister." Totomaru's voice was shaking as I felt myself brace for a horrid sentence that would probably last me for the rest of my life, there was something friendly about the way he acted even if under a spell. "Is it true that your magic is the thing that killed your younger sister?" The silence in the room as everyone waited for a reply was almost un-bearing I felt my hands begin to shake feeling as if I knew the answer and didn't want to hear it, myself. There was no way someone so, so much with a responsible presence would kill his own younger sister, t-that just wasn't possible.

"It was...my first experience with magic. I was younger and everything just exploded within our part of the castle, I was the only survivor out of the two living there. The only other had been my little sister whom didn't make it. I remember waking up in the morning to whispers that jostled in-between '_there's a survivor!' _and _'run for it, they'll think you murdered her, they're going to kill you.'_ at first I didn't understand until I sat up and was surrounded by so many distraught faces." Totomaru whispered. "I was ten. We were alone, our parents were long dead. And I was living everyday to struggle to feed my sister. And I was the one who had gone...g-gone and k-kil-e-ed my only reason for living at that point. I haven't the slightest idea why or how I am still alive simply that I kept moving. When Jose took over he promised to resurrect my sister when I was capable of handling such a ceremony." Totomaru's voice was back and forth constantly in-between a whisper and struggling to stay at the normal talking tones. "It says in the files that you were undeclared about such a thing." Rogue asked obviously pressing for more information. "I wasn't sure. I wanted my sister back with all the will in the world and would do anything to protect her...but when I saw the formula's and the plans for how...the body count was so high, she would have never been happy with the thought of being alive over so many murdered." Totomaru's voice stopped altogether as I heard the click of his chains. "Actually that's not entirely honest, I think I wanted the ceremony to go on, that's why I never bothered lifting a finger to help anyone down in the cellars." Totomaru stated as I felt Rogue nodded and heard the chains of Totomaru walking away.

I sat up slowly struggling to suppress tears. "They used that magic on him, to convince him further to help with the murders once it wore off, like giving something back to an addict and cold turkeying him." I whispered as Rogue nodded. "We aren't throwing Totomaru in jail are we?" I whispered as Rogue sighed. "Only temporarily, if we don't he'll be walking around with unnecessary guilt feeling as if he didn't serve for the punishment he deserved." Rogue sighed. "But he didn't deserve any punishment! It was a mistake and accident he couldn't even control! Why should he suffer? He's been suffering all this time at the loss of his sister while Jose swings a little locket in front of his face that he can only reach with the tips of his fingers insisting that if he could get it he would have his sister back, the only family he _had _left." I felt like grinding my teeth as my eyes flung open confused as I looked at Rogue. "You'll understand in time, it's the mind of a mortal that must be understood not a person's morals when looking into things such as these." was the slightest reply. I nodded not quite understanding.

Several hours passed while recognized faces and unrecognized faces passed through the room, some of the maids in the audience shivering when they glanced at certain ones. Usually the ones that were sent away on accounts of unjustified murder that wasn't to protect the kingdom, munity, and _various_ other sorts of crimes all stacked together. "Gajeel this place is in such a poor shape how did you let it get this way?" Rogue would whisper upon occasion. But everything was over about an hour ago. Only now was I waiting outside for Rogue to finish and retrieve me. I glanced down at my dress dusting it off, it was bright pink and poofed out as if I was cinderella but it only came to right above my knees while the rest of the dress made a line up to my neck and wrapped around my shoulders quickly squaring off into gloves with holes in them threw the thumbs. I glanced behind me into the hallway, it was still empty down the entire corridor. I felt myself shiver the nights were cold in PhantomLord and not only that the wind was about to pick up. I glanced around looking for a carriage to wait in or something similar but found nothing. I sighed glancing out at the beginning drizzle as footsteps echoed through the halls on to and fro. Once Gajeel found wherever Levy-chan was selling or sharing books he stated [and quite loudly at that] that he was going to propose to her.

I felt a slight smile come to my lips as I paced forwards looking out upon the cobblestone ground just around the corner of the castle, far enough away from the city to feel safe, yet close enough to see the lights echoing off of the city. I heard trotting come closer as I felt myself pull away from the road, it wouldn't kill anyone to be too careful while the fake king was in the middle of being overthrown. No one ever knew if there was someone who actually _wanted _Jose to be the king, that man was probably throwing a few extra bucks here and there that would now disappear from certain people's wages. I sighed glancing out in the rain. There was no where I would have liked to run if a burglar was to come up while having the idea of mauling someone. Just as I had the thought hands were placed over my eyes.

"Kidnapper! Burglar! Bandit!"

"Guess who?"

I felt the hands whip away suddenly as if they realised they had startled me as I glanced up towards Rogue who seemed seemingly shocked. "I may be a dark man but I am by far a bandit who gets caught." Rogue laughed as I glanced over his image it was his usual SaberTooth attire again, except more lightweight and darker colors with a cloak over top along with another cloak hanging over his shoulder. "Here." He smiled handing me the cloak as I wrapped it over my head throwing the hood up. "I may not be prince charming on a white horse, but it's good enough right?" He said a mischievous smile running up his face. Rogue was like my antonym to prince charming who was tall beautiful with all the ladies swooning over his innocence in awe on his pretty white horse. Instead Rogue was dark and mysterious not only that trotting along behind him was an obsidian black horse which looked down upon us both. "Are we going home?" I whispered staring up at the horse as he mounted pulling me up the horse a second later. I sat sideways upon the horse as he took the saddle. "Is it really okay to ride a horse like this?" I whispered unsure if I should feel insecure. "Don't worry I don't have to really do anything, Obsidian has been my horse since I was little, he knows what he's doing." Rogue said as I nodded wondering how close the bond with his horse really was. "No. We are going to visit your mother." He answered my first question finally.

"My mom?" I whispered as he laughed, my heart skipped a beat, there was no way I couldn't. "No, no, if I meet her she'll disappear like grains of sand." I whispered as Rogue gave me saddened eyes. There was several moments of silence between us as I attempted what to continue to say. This wasn't right, I shouldn't have been denying the right to see my own mother especially in front of Roge, especially when he couldn't have seen his own. "Well too bad. I think it'd be best that I meet my future mother-in-law." He smiled as I felt a blush creep up my cheeks at the slightest mention of it. I nodded slowly.

In the morning I would finally meet my mother.

**Author's note: ****p.s. happy mother's day to those mother's out there!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

I breathed in slightly looking at the woman. She was everything that most people guessed when they thought of an image of a queen, something magnificent, that glowed, even more than that. I looked at an image of what would have been my older self. Her hair cascaded down her back towards the her ankles without hitting the floor. Her eyes carefully scrutinized over my appearance which probably looked deranged with my hair wind battered and the windburn acrossed my face not to mention dirt splattered across the bottom of my gown. She probably hadn't even spent a single day in her life with dirt upon her with all of her elegant presence. She glew with some form of radiance that shone like stars. I felt my hand search for Rogue's pulling away quickly before she could see. "I don't think I'm ready." I whispered. "Of course you can." He whispered back. "May I help you?" The queen asked turning to me as I felt my heels click back my feet screaming about how much they wanted to run away. I felt my feet shaking, something I had dreamed up hundred of times in hundreds of different ways, was actually about to happen. I could feel the adrenaline rushing through me. She didn't even have to be a queen she could be the worst off among the people who were broke. All's I wanted was to meet my mother, I listened to everyone in silence as my own breathing hitched "She doesn't recognize me." I whispered glancing towards him as he nudged me slightly closer. "Of course she wouldn't, you're seventeen, she hasn't seen you since you were only a week old." Rogue replied. "Prince Ryos can I help you?" The woman smiled turning towards him with a small frail smile upon her face. "Your mother surely has told you that you were arranged to be engaged to my daughter before she was born, so surely you know that I shall treat you as a son anytime. Queen Skiadrum and I were close friends I could tell you almost anything any time you asked." The woman smiled as I felt a twitch my fingers attempting to hide. There was a silence as I felt as if I was choking on my own breath that seemed to be abruptly drying out as I attempted coming up with thousands of phrases that all became caught in my throat. "Are you seeking my approval?" She asked. As I glanced up at her struggling to get a sentence out. "Mom." I whispered barely able to hear my own voice as her ears twitched glancing me over once again.

I watched as her feet moved backwards almost as if in denial. "Rogue, she's running away." I whispered wanting to do the same myself as I stared at her, my hands were shaking, I couldn't go back on this now. I needed to know. It was something that I had dreamed up for years, I couldn't...I just couldn't _leave_ just leave that wasn't right that wasn't what I had "I can't do this, no I can't have someone thrown into my life...I can't do this to her." I whispered my hands were shaking as I realised the opposite of what I had really wanted was happening. Rogue pushed me forwards towards her. "I've researched it over and over, and had several mages check into the family line. Celestine is your daughter they didn't even change her name after her kidnapping." Rogue pushed me forwards slightly more as he continued to talk. "She's my daughter? No, that can't be I-I was going to accept it, she has to be gone. Ryos this isn't funny. N-now that I'm the only one ruling this castle I can't have you playing cruel tricks on me." The Queen whispered. "Queen Cadence!" Rogue struggled as I held my hand up cupping them together as I struggled to make all of the magic particles that I contained gather together. The slight orange sphere radiating from within them. "This is the magic specific only to the royal line around here, cousin Artemis has it too." I whispered as the queen finally came several steps closer her hands resting under mine, it was strange but she wasn't that much older than me nor did she seem as if she was going to disappear any minute. She was only slightly smaller than I myself was and her hands were softer. "I-I..." I glanced at Rogue quickly wondering how one would react to the sight of their own mother that they had never seen before, what was the proper way to respond? I felt my heart pounding in my chest to the point I thought it was going to rip itself out of where it had once belonged. It felt like a very long time before anyone moved or said anything as I felt the sweat running down the back of my neck my shaking hands becoming more visible by the second. "I've missed you." The queen whispered as I found myself suddenly wrapped within her arms being smothered while my face was buried within her bosom, tears were pouring down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." She whispered her hand ruffling through my hair, although she was smothering me it didn't feel as though she was trying to kill me. In fact it felt quite the opposite. "I'm so sorry Celestine...I really wanted to find you...we sent a search party night after night until the country was completely exhausted...we investigated and didn't find a single trace." The woman sobbed as if she were a little child stroking threw my hair carefully. I nodded tears threatening to crawl out of my eyes, someone who I was told didn't exist anymore, someone who I had fantasized my whole life about having being able to reach, to hold, to touch, to _see_ what she looked like or who she was even from afar was right here cradling me as if I were still a baby. It felt like caverns within my heart were being reopened once again while being filled properly once again. The pain coming resurfacing to my mind while at the same time some form of relief was washing over me."You've lost so much of your own childhood." Queen Can-no-my mother whispered as I bit my lip I didn't want to admit that I had been raised on how to do the household chores for the rest of my life and only that for the rest of my life.

"How about we have a grand feast? As dinner for tonight?" My mother whispered as I nodded it didn't sound like a half bad ideal. "Hey mom, when's my birthday? How old am I? Did you grow up in the castle? What's D-dad like?" I asked questions pouring out of my head so quickly as my mother laughed patting me on the head. "All in time, now I'll be right back, the poor cook once he hears of this." My mother smiled running off to tell the poor cook who would be rushing around in a panic for an hour or two from now. "Prince Ryos can show you to where your room is, there's a lot that we all have to talk about at dinner tonight!" My mother shouted halfway down the hallway as Rogue and I nodded in unison. "Does she always call you Ryos?" I asked looking at him quickly. "Is that possessiveness I see in your eyes? Towards your own mother?" He asked as I glanced away. "No it's not." I muttered feeling a strange feeling coil within me as I glanced away towards the floor. I just wanted to be the only one to know something so special about him. "It's j-just that I thought there were very few people who called you by your real name." I whispered as a slight smile spread across his face. "Or are you noticing that you don't use my name that often?" He teased as I glanced away. "Of course I do, R-R...yo" I glanced towards the way he was smiling causing me to move my hands to the back of his sleeve. "Mine." Was all I was able to utter out causing a laugh to escape his lips. "Silly girl getting jealous over people saying my name but can't say it yourself." Rogue laughed something felt oddly happy about the way we were within this castle. I felt a light blush creep it's way up to my cheeks as I finally realised we were moving a creaking sound as Rogue opened a door. "This would have been your room when you were younger, as you got older there were other passageways added onto this bedroom to the back that would be where you are going to stay tonight." Rogue explained as I nodded walking into the first room, it was decorated in bright pinks and light purples that coordinated with each other, along the walls were some form of stuffed animals, while the other side of the room contained a crib. I glanced towards each thing in detail as we walked forwards even the floor had been painted with the kingdom's symbol and the roof was painted with clouds and fairies. The room seemed almost perfectly fit for a child inbetween the ages of one to three. Continuing on to the next room the floor was the only thing that didn't change. The symbol was the same and the bed was made slightly bigger for a child in between the ages of three to ten. On top of the bed was a butterfly blanket while along the curtains careful hand sewn decals were made into the fabrics, more stuffed animals were organized perfectly upon shelves, while little teathing toys, crayons, and coloring books were packed within a delicate little toybox. We moved forwards into a room that seemed to be designed for a child the ages 10 to 15, the bed was bigger. There were less toys and the books weren't things that could be chewed upon anymore, the bed's color was a pale pink, and there was even a writting desk attatched to that. I glanced around at the place once again, all of it seemed in some form heartbroken. I felt Rogue place his hand within my grip bringing me forwards to the almost last room which would probably be the room I would stay within showing that the bed sizes matched the ages. I glanced back towards the room that was probably for a thirteen to fifthteen year old wondering if the next room would be completely heartbroken and empty. Imagining a blackened wastteland that had given up hope, the only room that would be used was the one that had given up hope. I took a deep breath walking forwards into the room.

It was a contrast to all of the pink that had been seen around instead the room was covered with a mural painted upon it. The mural had the oceans creatures from the bottom as the bottom with the darkest and deepest blue while it raised up into other blues changing the sea creatures as it went along, near the middle there were sharks, further up there were clownfish maybe even jellyfish, going near the rim of the ocean there was dolphins, while all the way up in the sky was the representation of night the darkest color upon there with stars that shone as if they were actually floating within the room and used the light as the centerpiece as if it were the full moon. The bed was an extravagant match with all forms of ocean creatures stitched upon it. Around the edges of the room there was a desk, a large mirror that slid open into a closet to reveal a ton of dresses, stuffed animals, and a large bookshelf. I struggled not to let my mouth drop in awe. "They were still looking, if not in their hearts but in their minds." I whispered as Rogue nodded. I felt tears prick up in my eyes. "How am I going to ever get retribution? I gave up on them before I even knew what the words mother and father meant! But they kept looking and looking even when they exhausted their entire kingdom and themselves." I whispered as Rogue gave me a small look that meant he understood. I nodded glancing towards the door near the window. "Hey what's that?" I whispered as Rogue glanced at it. "It's a passage way. You'll probably discover what it is later." He explained as I curosity overwhelming me as I stared at the curious little door. Footsteps entered the room as if they were on some form of daily return. "Make sure you dust everything off, her heart my break if any of it gets dust on it!" A voice shouted as a person pushed the door open. The maid quickly looked up and down at me before I realised that I had looked as though I had been through some sort of war some of the mud stains even looked like they had been blood instead. "GHOST! SPIRIT! SPECTER! GET THE HOLY WATER!'" The maid started screaming as I gave myself a quick double check in the mirror, it wasn't that bad that I needed a bath. "Hey Rogue, why does the water have wholes in it?" I asked suddenly curious as Rogue shook his head. "Also what's a specter?" I asked as other maids rushed in with water in buckets. "Are they moping?" I asked as all of the maids sighed. "Matilda!That's not a specter..that's our queen." One of them sighed. "No, no, no! Look! Look! That girl is much too young to be our queen!" The newly dubbed Matilda shouted in a panic as all of the other maids looked back towards me tensing. "She's not a ghost, she is completely alive." Rogue reassured them as all of them looked shocked before slowly lowering their buckets and doing a quick curtesy before getting back to work.

"Well that was interesting." I sighed as I looked towards Rogue who seemed to put his hand down as if he were moving. "Dinner's ready!" One of the maids shouted causing us to walk out towards dinner. "Yeah, your birthday's during the winter months! It's on the third of January!" My mom smiled beaming away while telling me all of the information that I had been missed. I glanced at the seat towards her left it had been empty now for nearly an hour I averted my eyes swiveling back to her. "Oh let me tell you about that time little Ryos visited our castle and _actually _brought his brother! My dear he apparently gets so embarrassed introducing his brother to his mother-in-law!" My mom continued excitedly trying to catch up, my heart pulsed as I thought about what to tell her, I found my cousin? I was held captive in phantomlord most my life? My bedroom was the dudgeon and rats looked like dogs to me? Biting my lip is normal, see I have teeth marks...None of the conclusions seemed as if they were going to get a proper response out of her that I wanted. Anything I had to tell her would only upset her. "The single time he had brought his brother over, Little-Sting dearest made a huge mess of the garden, but the funniest part is? Sting hadn't even realised if you stood on the top porch from my window the entire mess looked like a dragon! He had the butler become utterly confused and wound up calling the guards screaming about how dear prince sting was in the garden with a dragon. At the time no one knew what exactly to do because no one around here has seen a dragon in years we weren't sure if Sting would be playing with the dragon or if we should go out and kill the dragon." My mother explained waving her fork around wildly within the air as she retold stories of the past. Obviously babbling on to avoid nervousness or dead silences where I would feel uncomfortable. "So how was your childhood?" My mom whispered finally taking a bite of food off of the fork that she was waving around. I breathed in slightly. "I had few but very good friends who stood by my side." I said proudly as I dropped my voice. "All the way to the end." was the quiet whisper I had added. My mother looked at me with a flash of some sort of understanding within her eyes before she took another bite. "One spends her time in-between Pyre and Magnolia selling, trading, and borrowing books. Even Prince Gajeel said when he finally finds her again he was going to propose to her." I smiled as my mother stood up as if this was really big news. "I've been waiting _**forever**_ for that news to reach us! It's about time that little punk made his move!" My mom cheered as I looked at her shocked. "Queen, ma'am...mom" Rogue struggled as suddenly my mom responded to mom taking him by the head and stuffing it within her bosom as she gave him a noogie. "About time! I wanted to hear that out of your too! I heard from Sting that you actually proposed to my daughter! Well what if I tell you, you aren't good enough?" My mom smiled a big triumphant look upon her face while sometime earlier she had stood up placing her fists upon where her hip bones would be. Rogue looked at her quickly and then back down towards his plate as if he were slightly embarrassed from the way Queen-no-my mother had been talking. I glanced towards the empty seat to my left wondering if it would be filled soon. I turned back to my mother who was talking rapidly and excitedly while waving around her drink within the air as suddenly I heard the chair screech along the floor as I glanced up towards who was standing there leaning over the chair.

Totomaru.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

I felt a little smile come to my mind remembering tonight's dinner as I turned into another one of the rooms the castle had contained. After dinner my mother had requested a special audience with Rogue and Totomaru over affairs that were happening within the other kingdoms. I didn't want to lie but fairly I was disappointed that I was not included within this audience instead I was capable of roaming throughout the castle learning which would be my environment for the next several years. I hesitated at the thought as I opened the door, that would mean Rogue would go home without me. I felt my teeth move to my bottom lip, even though my mother was here, I didn't know anyone. I would be alone. And more than likely Rogue would take Totomaru with him to get special paperwork so that he could travel within the kingdoms. I sighed walking into the next room as I took a candle on the wall lighting it with the torch that rested near it. I let the light of the torch guide me towards the center of the room glancing towards each of the squares upon the shelves. Books, rows and rows of books. I felt a smile brush to my face remembering my disappointment of never managing to get into Queen Skiadrum's special library which was Rogue's treasure his important memento from his own mother. One day I would get to that library I definitely would. I felt my nose twitch, it smelled as if Sting had been here recently, I walked towards the scent struggling to follow it as I was barely just learning to use my own severely limited powers. I glanced towards the papers lying on the table near where his scent ended. "_Birthday ideas, step 1 find out when her birthday actually is" _was poorly scrawled on an abandoned piece of paper. I felt a small laugh come to my lips Sting didn't even know when Artemis's birthday really was but he was already out looking for a present just in-case. I sighed turning back to pour threw my mother's books. Finding something to read I felt my fingers brush back and forth until a green book struck my interest. I smiled opening several pages in to see if it would have been within any interest to me. I glanced towards the middle of the page wondering what kind of genre it would be.

"_Reaching over I glanced towards him, the room was lit within shaded lite where we had finally found a place to be alone, even if, just for a little while. While the candles kindled the flame that been held such as our hearts were as I reached towards him, wanted to feel his embrace-"_

"What are you reading?" I heard a voice ask over my shoulder as I looked out of the corner of my eye seeing Rogue approach. "I was just skimming." I sighed unsure if I should keep reading or put the book back. "What's it about?" Rogue asked a strange sparkle occurring in his eyes."Um I...I actually think I was going to pull out a dictionary with it actually, I don't think I understand it." I whispered pulling the book away as I was about to shut it. "Hey, you'll lose your place that way." He sighed reaching to reopen the book quickly as i managed to hide it by stuffing it within a pile of books that was completely sprawled out along the floor. "You know I could probably smell that book out since you were touching it." He stated as I rolled my eyes. "Sure and several other books amongst that pile was I touching earlier." I said overly exasperating my words as I got a strange smirk out of him as he managed to pick up the exact same book. "You should know by now I'm not something that should be doubted." A sly smile crossed his lips as he dangled the book over my head looking down towards me. "I never realized how small you got." He stated as I blinked confused for a moment. "I didn't get smaller! You only got an inch or two taller!" I grumbled looking at him as he leaned on the bookshelf next to me as I finally managed to feel the tips of my fingers brush the edge of the book he was holding above my head. "Keeping secrets are we?" Rogue said as I flinched confused realizing he was reading the back of the book out loud. "No, but maybe you are! I can't believe my own mother wouldn't invite me for this secret meeting that only contained you and Totomaru." I grumbled feeling a faint blush as I felt my mind not want to finish my sentence as I forced it out as Rogue glanced towards me. "Are you jealous of Totomaru and I for being able to have a conversation with your mother?" He asked as I glanced away. "Say it honestly!" My mind buzzed. "No..." I whispered as I felt his hand brush threw my hair. "I think I would be jealous too, if I found out one day that she was alive but wanted to just talk to Sting or something..." Rogue replied attempting to make a comparison as I nodded. "I understand what you're trying to say, but trust me right now I don't need such pities." I smiled as he nodded trying his best to seem as if he fully understood what I just said even when I didn't understand it myself. "Here, apparently the curfew on this castle starts soon, how about I walk you back to your room?" He asked as I nodded not really wanting to tell him that I had already forgotten my way to my own room in which I had become distracted by the library. I pulled another book off the shelf before turning to quickly follow him out of the room. We walked threw several strange corridors each with their own twists and turns as if they had been built on to to keep something hidden within before reaching our destination. "I'll be back soon." He whispered as we finally made it to my room, walking the circumference of the room, slowing at the balcony door with a quick almost unnoticeable glance at the lock, and then continuing on to leave.

I crawled in to my bed above the covers opening the book once again carefully, sensitively, and fearful. These books weren't the kind of books that I was capable of reading within the "other" castle. Those were locked away nice and steady hidden away. "Everyone has their own type of guilty pleasure even if they don't admit it." The maid would say and when I asked several questions such as "what's guilty pleasure?" "What's your's?" "Is it food?" The maids would turn looking at each other faces highlighted insisting that theirs was just taking little nibbles of the spare cheesecake that no one eats. I sighed glancing down at the book it must've been something good since those books were locked away so tightly as if they were precious treasure. I glanced skimming the few words that I had read earlier.

"_Reaching over I glanced towards him, the room was lit within shaded lite where we had finally found a place to be alone, even if, just for a little while. While the candles kindled the flame that been held such as our hearts were as I reached towards him, wanted to feel his embrace-"_

I paused realizing that I didn't actually understand what the last word meant. I sighed continuing to read paging threw the book realizing there was a lot of the next few pages that I couldn't understand. "I leave for a couple seconds and you're already in bed making frustrated faces at the book, is it a bad scene?" Rogue asked sitting down next to me as he paged through the book from the beginning. "I don't know what several words mean." I whisper feeling a blush creep up my face. "Alright." He stated coming up into the bed that I was sitting on as he put his arms around me placing the book in where I could see it. "Well just read it together." He smiled beginning to read the beginning of the book to me pausing to explain the simplest of words to me. I glanced towards the next few sentences ahead. _"He whispered beautiful words that were almost as if they were a poem made entirely for my entire being only focused upon me as his glittering eyes echoed within my own as I pulled him closer." _As suddenly Rogue stopped reading out loud. I glanced up towards him wondering if the book was boring or something that I shouldn't have picked out as he looked towards me shutting the book slowly. "I'm not like other people, with all their trivial flings, I can't serenade you with beautiful lullabies, I can't whisper sweet words of woe and passion, and I can't even focus entirely on you with my birthright and curse as prince of a nation. I beg that you'll have to forgive me." Rogue glanced at me with such a strange look within his eyes. As I nodded. "There's nothing wrong with how you are now." I whispered back as he nodded seeming as if he wanted something else other than the answer that I had given him. Maybe what he had wanted wasn't the answer with words but something more, more- like the stuff within the book that we hadn't even gotten into yet. "Besides words of devotion and passion are lost on someone like me who doesn't understand even the simplest of ones...words of love, they are much like a foreign alien to someone such as me." I whispered feeling his hand play threw my hair as he leaned closer. "Not for long." he smiled as I glanced away feeling a form of heat rise upon my face acknowledging that I was blushing. "It's going to get late soon, I think I'll check all of the locks again, but before that is there any words you need help with?" He asked smiling almost as if he wasn't going to actually leave as I glanced towards the book. "This one." I said pointing to the last word of the sentence in the phrase I was reading before, right before where we had stopped. "Embrace? Well usually it's a hug." He muttered as I glanced at the slight pink lit up on his cheeks. "Usually?" I murmured as he nodded. As I glanced down at the text once again. "Does the context here change it's meaning?" I whispered reading it over.

"_Reaching over I glanced towards him, the room was lit within shaded lite where we had finally found a place to be alone, even if, just for a little while. While the candles kindled the flame that been held such as our hearts were as I reached towards him, wanted to feel his embrace. One of the ultimate acts of love."_

"Actually yes. How about I explain that in the morning?" He murmured he was probably hoping I would forget about that one line. "Oh..I get it." I said finally understanding as he looked up. "You do?" He seemed relieved in some way. "You don't know but don't want to tell me since you usually know everything!" I smiled feeling relieved I had come to a proper conclusion. "I'll just go ask my mom!" I smiled getting out of my bed and walking towards the door. "Wait!" He said, standing up suddenly, grabbing my arm when I was already several steps away. "Don't ask her...it's not that I don't know i-it's that it's..." Rogue paused as if preparing a caesura. "It's considered an ultimate act of love done with only one person." He started as I pointed towards my shoulder as he shook his head. "yes and no. There's three and the main one is something very important." He whispered. "Important like a promise?" I whispered looking towards him as he nodded. "Yes very much like a promise. A promise that must never be broken" He explained as I nodded. "What kind?" I whispered back as he begun to get up to leave since the hours were getting late and tired themselves.

"The promise to never leave."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

I felt my cheeks blush at such words "the promise to never leave" he had called it as he left the corridors I had found for myself. Words that I didn't quite understand yet living as a normal civilian but at the same time words that had such a precious underlying meaning to them as he whispered them towards me. I glanced towards the window that Rogue had made sure to check over on multiple occasions before leaving wondering what made him so curious to be infatuated with the need to lock the window. I pulled my feet out of the bed shutting the book slowly as I found my feet wandering throughout several darkened rooms with lights that were turned out for the night. A common theme being the lack of windows in each room. As I paused in the room before my current room glancing around in which it was littered with toys and plushies. Slowly cautiously as if the slightest sound would wake someone up I picked up a little black dragon with red hand-stitched eyes. "It looks like Rogue" I smiled looking at the little dragon although dragons were said to be fearsome beasts this little stuffy was anything but fearsome. It was the cutest creature I had ever seen, although that wasn't saying much, it was still plain out adorable. As I searched through the onslaught of faded pinks throughout the room I found that a certain square stuck out within the room as I glanced towards the picture with people inside. I reached down picking the picture up there was something peculiar about it in general. One person was obviously my mother, there the picture contained at least three other people, along with several recognizable faces. One person was King Weisslogia himself, the next person was some man standing next to my mother, after that there was another female whom looked like Rogue, while the last adult in the picture had blonde hair and was holding Sting who looked positively grumpy. After that I glanced towards the children, glancing a crossed from the one who looked like Rogue her eyes were so caring, tender, gentle, yet they held some traces of some form of emptiness like she was hiding something. I felt my eyes trace from where she was squatting, up her arm towards where her hand laid upon a child's head. His face was so _innocent. Obviously happy even. _I felt my breath hitch as I realized who that woman was. "Skiadrum." I felt it fall from my lips without even realizing it.

This was what his mother had looked like, she had long flowing hair with the same eyes and color that Rogue himself possessed. I felt my hands hold it tightly emotions swirling within my mind as I struggled to keep it together. It wasn't fair that his mother was taken away that swollen emotion deep within his own eyes engrave and old. It spoke loudly and clearly to me, that sadness was something so big I would never be able to dispel it with my incapable power. I glanced at my hands which were flashing in and out of visible existence. I couldn't stop it, this pity that echoed loudly and clearly within me hurt as if someone had thrown a castle cup towards my forehead once again. No that wouldn't happen here that wasn't a fair comparison, but it was just enough to hurt it almost felt like betrayal. "Control it." The voice said firmly as I glanced towards hands that were placed over my own as I looked up towards Rogue. "But...Rogue, it's not fair..." I whispered feeling tears come to my own eyes as he set the picture down pulling me closer. "It's going to be okay, you just have to control it. It's a piece of you, an extremely fragile valuable piece of you." He whispered extending my fingers as they interlaced as I nodded. "How did you find me?" I whispered. "I'll still find you even if you decided you want to hide from this world no matter what." He replied as I nodded. "Are you hungry?" He asked as I nodded wondering how I could be hungry after such a feast that my mother had prepared for us. "Okay let's go get a little midnight snack and I can show you how _I _cook a meal." He smiled as I glanced towards him. "So you're telling me the almighty prince of SaberTooth can cook silly things like pastries and cakes?" I asked as I heard a huff out of him the slightest smile tracing the edges of his lips. "Maybe I can." He smiled leading me throughout the halls. "Well I just _maybe _might _have to _make you make me an entire cake covered in the most complex frilly cake ever." I replied as I got a look from him. "Challenge accepted." He said leading me towards where the dining room was because beyond that was the kitchen.

I glanced towards the doors examining each of them decorated with flowers and various others details as we passed an extravagant door suddenly it was beautiful and eye catching that would strike anyone's curiosity. "Celestine where are you going?" Rogue's voice asked as I hadn't even realized that I was already wandering away towards the door. As I listened towards the voice behind it that came from faint whispers the more I concentrated to the voice behind the door. It was my mother's. "How am I supposed to tell her such a thing?!" My mom shouted. "Maybe write it out? This isn't going to be something that is easy to say no matter how it's put." A male-voice replied to her, it sounded like the head advisor who would occasionally talk at dinner. "How do you tell your own daughter that she-she doesn't.." My mom choked behind her own voice as if she was trying to hide something and crying at the same time. I felt my hand press to the white wooden door wondering if I should go in and comfort her. I pressed on the door reaching for the door knob. "How am I supposed to explain to my daughter that she doesn't have a father? Much less that I _killed him_ last year?" My mother shouted towards whoever she was within the room with. I felt my hand suddenly reach towards my mouth as I suppressed a loud sound that threatened to bubble it's way up my throat and out of my mouth. "Celeste, what's wrong?" Rogue asked as I glanced towards him fearing the fear, sadness, and confusion creep up my own eyes as I ran towards the opposite direction from which we were going running past several windows as suddenly one shattered slamming me up against the wall.

"Celestine!" Rogue-no-Ryos shouted running down the hallway towards where all of the glass had shattered. "Celestine, what just happened?" He asked running towards the shattered glass. "Stop! There's glass everywhere!" I shouted bringing myself back to a position where I could at least look at what had shattered, attempting to stand, as my legs gave out from underneath myself. "Who are you and what business to you have in this castle!?" Ryos shouted glaring towards the man who was standing within the window sill. "It has nothing to do with you, I must have a conversation with Princess Celestine!" The man shouted. "Well, whatever you have to say to my princess can be said in front of me!" Ryos snapped quickly, it was almost adorable how fiercely he demanded.

"She never even told you yes did she?!" The voice shouted as I looked towards the man in which had just broken into my castle. I glanced towards Ryos feeling a bewildered look appear on my face, this, at least was true. I felt a sweat break out upon my hands as I pressed up on the cold floor of where I had fallen my heart pounding as he looked towards me. It was true. It was true. This man wasn't like the other villains who had broken into the castle and insisted on feeding and shoving lies along with their own fantasies down our own throats this man was speaking truth._ I had never said yes. _I gulped back another breath wondering if that same scene was flashing throughout his own mind.

"_The prince smiled leaning towards me as I felt my heart skip a beat, finally understanding what he had forgotten. He was trying to pick up off of where he had left off before the ball was interrupted. I glanced towards him, watching him hesitate, before my mind couldn't take the constant anticipation anymore, I felt myself move before I had even thought about it. It was even kinder and warmer than his regular presence. I pulled myself back glancing up towards his glowing red eyes. "Ryos, you forgot your kiss goodnight."_

_"Celestine, I am serious." He sighed suddenly as I looked at him. __**"Serious over what?" **__My mind thought quickly. "Be my princess." He said it wasn't a hard sounding statement as if demanding, but at the same time I wasn't absolutely sure that he was serious. There was no way a prince would want someone like me. "Ryos…will it really be alright?" I had whispered back. My last thought being that there was nothing dark and blood stained about it."_

I glanced throughout the entire scene glass shattered along the floor, a mysterious man standing within one of the no-longer glass windows, Ryos wide-eyed for the first time, and there I was on the floor in all of the mess my hands pressed to it unsure if any of the glass had wound up where I was and frankly not caring at the current moment in time. Wait-no one should have known that, we were alone the entire time. What if this man was one of the Face Hunters? "I need to talk to Princess Celestine without such a person." The man insisted. "A Face hunter?" I whispered wondering if Ryos would hear me. "I'm going to run. I'll send someone." I whispered as he nodded. "I can take care of myself make sure to go hide." He whispered as I nodded picking myself up as my legs shook rapidly as I attempted to move quickly out of the glass. I glanced behind myself as I found my strength to run, the sound of several pieces of glass clinking to the ground, I glanced towards him. Ryos had successfully managed to block the intruder within the castle but at the same moment I felt a chill run up my spin as I glanced at the sadistic smile upon his face eyes lighting up at the thought of murder. "You have no idea what I'm going to do to you." He whispered so carefully in such a way I felt the feeling of how I felt when he talked to me with a different set of words, words of love, the same emotion from them was rising within myself. I shook my head insisting that it was just panic as I powered myself forwards. "I can't find anyone." My mind whispered as my feet collapsed I couldn't stand anymore, it was too hard and apparently my body thought so too as my leg gave out from underneath me. I glanced behind me hearing feet click down the hallway. "I'm not going to escape in time!" My mind screamed as I felt my heart pulse as I stared down the corridor. "Now or never." I whispered glancing towards my hands. _"It's an extension of yourself." _Ryos' voice whispered from earlier within the night. "I want to become invisible. I want to become invisible. I want to become invisible. I want to become invisible." I peaked out of one of my eyes watching my hands fade away of my own intention finally becoming part of my control. I glanced towards my hair slowly vanishing before my own eyes. "Good." I whispered removing my own shoes as I hesitantly slipped out of my dress that I hadn't changed since I visited this castle of my home. I glanced at the blood trail I had left attempting to wipe it away with my foot as if it were going to end there, actually winding up making it worse. I felt a shiver of discomfort throughout myself now I was completely bare within a foreign castle with a stranger chasing me, and a bloody leg. At least I was invisible. I glanced towards the pursuer as his footprints clicked closer. I felt the need to close my eyes hearing my heart pulse as I placed my back up against the wall watching as his form appeared. I felt a sigh of relief come to my lips as I looked towards him, a frown deepening as he picked up my clothes. "Celestine? It's alright now...I dealt with him." Rogue's voice shouted holding a tight grip upon my clothes gathered all up into a bundled walking further down to pick up my heels out of a pool of my own blood. "Matilda?" Rogue asked as Matilda walked down the hall her head hidden behind a stack of towels. "What tis it Rogue? You know I don't have time for your mad trivial nonsense." Matilda sighed. "Have you seen Celestine?" Rogue asked as Matilda sighed with her slightly country accent. She pulled her head out from behind the towels for a slight second examining the scene. Blood laying everywhere throughout the halls and my outfit within Rogue's hand. "I _always _knew you were insane! I told the queen several times to dispose of you but would she listen no! You brute! Monster! What have you done to our dear princess?!" Matilda shouted at the top of her lungs along with several other words of profanity raving towards Rogue not meaning a word she was saying within her panic as she actually pelted him, _pelted him,_ on the head with one of the towels. "Matilda. Give me several towels now." Rogue's voice suddenly changed as Matilda backed away handing him towels. "Go tell queen Skiaru-" Rogue's voice stopped as he realized in which he had just said. "Go get Queen Candace." Rogue's voice fell to a whisper. "Tell her we have a problem within this hallway, without your unnecessary fabricated details." He instructed as she nodded scampering away after making the transaction of the towels. "Celestine, it's okay you can come out." Ryos smiled looking around the hallway for me as I smiled jumping up towards him glancing towards his flustered face as he turned away suddenly. I glanced down towards my nude form instantly feeling a blush cover my cheeks as I shifted as so quickly back to being invisible that I had almost felt dizzy. I felt my heart skip several beats as he walked closer his arms going around me as I shut my eyes to what he was doing. Wondering if he could actually see the glow of my blush even though I was still invisible as I felt a cloth surround me suddenly. I opened my eyes to see a severely large towel wrapped around my form as I slowly made my way back to being visible. "How'd you find me? How'd you know I didn't run away?" I whispered as he smiled a soft looking appearing within his eyes. "I'll still find you even if you decided you want to hide from this world no matter what." He repeated as I nodded glancing towards the floor realizing that he couldn't give back the clothes that he was hiding I had dropped them within a pool of the trail I had left behind earlier. They were matted completely red already. "The face-hunters...there back aren't they?" I whispered glancing towards him as we waited for my mother to enter the hallway along with Matilda who hopefully brought a change of clothes with her. I felt my gaze linger towards him only than realizing that he had his back turned towards me I wouldn't know if he was actually speaking to me. As suddenly he spoke up:

"I'm going to protect you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

I glanced at him over my shoulder as he apparently seemed either extremely infatuated or stressed over the wall a crossed the corridor from where I was standing as we waited for my mother, queen of this here castle, to arrive. The situation was simply made more intense by the clarification of the fact that I had never said yes to such a simple question that any girl in any kingdom would've jumped at the chance of. Marry the prince? Of course, they'd all be swarming him wishing for the throne. Even if they all just saw Rogue as a second chance to steal the throne of SaberTooth or be spoiled as the second-queen of SaberTooth. The room felt empty, cold, and a little bit different than it had before. "Are you feet still bleeding? Have you removed the glass from your leg?" Rogue asked looking as if he was tempted to glance my way from a crossed the hallway. As I glanced towards my leg I hadn't even bothered checking with all of the madness that swarmed the situation. The intruder was possibly one of the Face Hunters in which we had seen earlier within the year. What if he was the same person that caused me to wake up in the castle of Phantom-Lord? I shivered remembering the sky that always dark and the walls stained with a darkened permanent red that no one even knew what or whom the liquid substance belonged to anymore. I glanced down towards my leg beginning to focus upon removing the pieces of glass without making the situation worse as the color of the liquid was almost black as I bit my lip trying to pull the pieces out of my leg without making a sound that would alert him while informing him that I was weaker than he actually thought in the first place. "Rogue..." I whispered hoping he wouldn't hear me so I wouldn't have to finish my sentence as my heart pounded within my chest this wasn't a conversation I wanted to be having at any point in time with my life. "What is it?" He asked suddenly. "I-I can't marry you." I whispered knowing my voice was shaking as I plucked another piece of glass determining that, that was the last one. I glanced towards him hearing his fingers tighten upon the opposing arms as he was standing with his arms crossed glancing at the walls as if they had some forms of the most fascinating murals painted a crossed it. I glanced towards his face as he shut his eyes his lips become visibly twisted. It was almost as if I had that I actually didn't want to marry such a man as him. I felt my heart twist wishing he would actually start flipping out instead of keeping it all inside, it was so confusing when he didn't actually talk to me but avoided the situation. I prayed that this wouldn't be a long drawn out affair of confusion and misunderstanding. "Not right now…I-I'm not strong enough I don't want to be a problem..l..I want to be something that helps." I whispered as he swung around suddenly storming towards where I was standing. I glanced towards a world of black as I blinked open my eyes not believing myself that I had flinched and shut my eyes towards him. Even though I knew nothing bad would ever happen. I still flinched away from him. "I'm not going to take excuses. But if you ask me to wait, that's the least I can do right?" He asked as I nodded trying to keep my tears from spilling out. I was turning into such a crybaby as of lately. I nodded managing to push my tears back from where they were.

"Okay, let's go find you a dress." He sighed apparently tired of waiting within this hallway for my mother to arrive. I glanced towards the rest of the hallway as maids came rushing down finally cleaning up the mess of liquid that I had left spilled throughout the castle. "It'll be fine." Rogue sighed as I nodded. "Celestine, dear, are you alright?" My mother shouted running up towards me as one of the maids struggled to follow her with her arms loaded with fabrics. I nodded glancing towards the maid who was struggling to carry all of those clothes. "You poor woman!" I shouted attempting to take the outfit as she pulled away from me shaking her head. "Such a silly girl your daughter is. Standing here with her her half-covered birthday suit while her leg is matted in blood and yet here she is trying to help me." The maid laughed as she turned me to the closest room. "Come on, let's get you dressed." She laughed as my mother nodded. I nodded as I headed to get changed looking at all of the garments laid out a crossed the bed along with their matching dresses as I asked the maid to remove several of the dresses that were red for the fear of everyone panicking. I picked up the seafoam green one throwing it upon myself and walking out with blue flats as the maid was returning at a steady pace.

"Okay, let's get this place locked down, check all the windows and post the guards." My mom stated with such an authority all of the maids flinched. "Post the guards? We haven't done that in years." One of the maids whispered anxiously while watching the other's nod shakily running to apparently assigned rooms to wake up what seemed as if they were knights as they came out of the rooms. "Post the guards." One of the nights whispered into a lamp as I glanced this way and that threw the castle in which chaos was quickly emerging. "Rogue?" I whispered watching him wander away with several knights following his trail at an incredible pace already listening to each of his instructions carefully. I sighed glancing towards the floor wondering if this would be considered an argument further within the future. "Hey, I know we haven't known each other long.." the queen of this castle whispered as I looked towards her. "But I'm still your mother, you can talk to me about anything." My mother whispered as I nodded trying to push the memory of her shouting towards the maid of how she murdered my father. There was definitely something that I didn't know, I couldn't just go and bluntly ask. But at the same time she was still my mother. I nodded. "I'll be heading off to my room then." I whispered turning away from everyone. "Are you sure she's safe there?" One of the maids whispered as my mom nodded. "Yeah, I've had that place fortified over and over, no one's getting in or out without her permission, it's still adjusting to her magic but if there is something that's unwanted approaches, it'll get rid of it for her without her knowledge." My mom explained as the maid nodded and then pardoned themselves upon the basis of searching the castle with the lockdown for the next several days.

I sighed collapsing upon my bed as I glanced around the room it was dark, beautiful, and sweet in some form of way. I sighed looking towards the stars on the roof that appeared to change according to the night sky with magic. I smiled looking towards the night sky it was so fast and beautiful a great contrast from this poor world fill with assassins and sadists. "I wish, I could have helped...been more useful..." I whispered grabbing on to a pillow as I curled around it. As there was a sudden 'thud' noise within the room. I glanced up looking towards a man who was almost a year or two older than I was, there was definitely something eerie about him as the white hair cascaded down his shoulder with a twisted smile along his face. "I couldn't of landed in any better place." He laughed placing his arms behind him to support himself as he stretched out along my floor. I whipped a confused tear away. I wasn't even sure if Rogue and I were fighting I just knew everything hurt, and then there was this eerie man within my room. "Who are you? Are you related to Rogue?" I whispered as he nodded. "Yeah you could say along that lines." He smiled sitting up as I blinked at him. "Why are you here?" I whispered placing myself on the floor next to him, his eyes glowing within my darkened room that didn't even have a single lit on. "Just think of me like a fairy-god mother, okay?" He smiled as I tilted my head at him. "But your Rogue's cousin or something shouldn't I tell him you've arrived towards my home?" I asked as this man gave the slightest smirk upon his face. "Nope, i'm your fairy godmother, how's he supposed to see me?" He asked as I blinked towards him. "If your my fairy godmother why are you a guy? Do you have to look like _him _right now?" I asked as he shrugged. "Maybe i'm just stuck in this form because currently it's what you want the most." I felt my face become redder as I listened to his laughter. "Also, yeah it's just a title." He replied as I nodded sitting down on the floor with him. "So do you give wishes?" I asked tilting my head wondering if I needed such a thing. "Well i'm a special kind of fairy godmother." He smiled as I felt confused pulling out the books wondering what he meant as his hand was placed upon my own.

"I can't be found in a book."

"Than what kind are you?"

"My kind of what?"

"Your kind of fairy godmother? Is it dangerous?"

I asked as he continued with a sly smile that was worn as if it was a deadly weapon that kept him safe from the rest of the world. "I guess in a way you can say not my type, but I- myself, am something dangerous if you want to put it that way." He smiled dragging a shadow up and spinning it around within his hand as it took a form of a rose. I glanced towards the rose which quickly turned into a monster that hovered above me causing me to flinch back until he reached up rubbing it's cheek as it disappeared once again. "So what kind of fairy are you?" I whispered as he scoffed. "Fairy, she says." He grumbled rolling his eyes as he turned back towards me. "I'm a special kind, if you have a wish...there's a toll that has to be paid." He instructed as glanced towards the stack of books remembering each of their topics that considered a toll in exchange for a favor. I pointed towards where my heart would presumably be located. "No, not your soul...it's kind of hard to make another deal if I take something like that." He sighed as I glanced up at him. "Than what do you want?" I asked. "Well first, you can make as many wishes as you want but they have to be things within my power. I can't fix relationships for you I can only lure them towards you when you're ready to fix it. Also it can't be things like ending world hunger." He paused trying to see if I was listening. "After that they way this is sealed is simple." He explained pausing as I listened. "What if I don't have a wish?" I asked as he rolled his eyes. "Of course you do, everyone has a wish at sometime or another...now the way that this contract is sealed is...the same way as it's started.." He paused leaning closer. "This contract is sealed

with a kiss."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"A k-kiss?" I whispered feeling my face blush that wasn't exactly a fair trade. "Wait! How can I believe you are who you say you are?" I asked quickly struggling not to judge him by his exterior look as if he were Rogue. "Currently, you're desperately trying to figure out your relationships. Trying to discover who you really are as you realize you aren't actually a puppet of PhantomLord. Rogue has proposed but not quite exactly with the actual words 'marry me' maybe twice now, and you're trying to figure out what your mother meant. Also you'll probably fight with Rogue in a subliminal manner for a couple days." He whispered within my ear playing with my hair. "What if I don't think I need a fairy godmother?" I asked as he rolled his eyes once again. "Are you sure?" He whispered slowly letting go of my hair. I hesitantly looked towards him. "Doing things with my own power is important too right?" I whispered as a strange light shone within the back of his eyes. "I'll give you 18 hours to make up your mind within that time I'll know the answer." He smiled disappearing within black shadows. "Princess, are you alright?" A knight asked knocking on the door that was made to make an exit of this room. "Yes, is there a problem?" I asked glancing towards my leg in which was suddenly wrapped within bandages as if someone was taking care of my foot that had contained so much glass when I wasn't paying attention. "One more thing Celestine. No one must ever know about me. Or my magic will disappear." The man whom looked like Rogue whispered within my ear before his presence faded away completely from the room. "Yes, what is it?" I asked looking towards my door. "I'll be outside the room tonight, please don't panic if you hear me knock over something, switch the light on, or if you see me here suddenly when you open the door tomorrow morning." The knight shouted as I sighed realizing that nodding back didn't really work. "Okay." I replied realizing how awkward that would be knowing that someone was outside the door just to keep watch upon you all night.

I sighed feeling exhausted as I woke up in the morning glancing to and fro to see if the fairy godmother was still sitting around waiting for an answer upon how I felt much more if I needed him. "It'd be plain out rude to just tell him he's unneeded." I whispered wiping my eyes as I glanced around the room once again. "How's the castle searching going? Can I come out of my room?" I asked knocking on my door as I heard a sigh that sounded like a mix of relief and annoyance. "Yes, they'll be sending more guards to escort you to breakfast soon." I heard the voice say as I propped the door open slightly. I glanced towards the knight standing outside my bedroom door. "It's alright, they will all be here shortly." He instructed as I nodded coming out of my room. "You didn't bother getting changed?" He asked I shook my head. "I barely wore it for ten minutes last night, that would be a waste with more effort to be put in with laundry." I replied as he nodded threw the cloth hood he seemed to be wearing it was similar to the one's worn within the desert and in the winter areas except I couldn't see his face, only a speckle of white glittering hair jutting out of the hood. I glanced away wondering if that was a normal hair color around these parts. As I continued walking. "Don't go too far now, they just used a lacrima to say they'll be over in just a little bit. There's going to be a last castle circling and then they'll be here." He explained as I nodded pulling one of my shals around me. It was considerably cold today and it was going to get colder. This kingdom was said to have the worst winter of most of the kingdoms. "Princess Celestine?" One of the guards asked as I was about to start a sentence with my guard who gave a slight smile. "Yes?" I asked turning towards the group approaching. "We've been ordered to escort you to the royal breakfast hall." He instructed as I nodded turning to thank the guard who stayed outside my door all night but he was gone already. "Was someone there?" The guard asked as I shook my head continuing our walk to the point where we finally exited the entourage of rooms built one after another. Where we were greeted by Totomaru. "I'll escort her from here." Totomaru stood up from leaning against the wall. "But we were personally ordered to escort her-"

"Dude, it's just breakfast. Chill, nothing's going to kill anything when i'm around. I'll be the only one doing the injuring. Plus I'm her teacher scram!"

The guards nodded and I glanced towards Totomaru. "Are we really going to breakfast?" I asked as he rolled his eyes. "Training _before_ breakfast, then breakfast, than more training. You know the drill." He laughed as I could feel my shoulders shag downwards listening to his training regimen. I sighed going to talk to him once again as I watched Rouge not even bother to greet us as he continued walking a pink cat trailing him quickly. I sighed realizing I probably wouldn't get to talk to him again today. I glanced down towards the floor. "Hey, don't get distracted, you won't be able to control your magic that way." Totomaru instructed as I nodded looking up at him once again. "Where will we practice?" I asked wondering what the day would be like. He glanced towards me for only a moment. "Your mother has given me special permission to train you in the royal training room." He explained as I wasn't sure to gasp or if that would be normal. "S-Someone like me, shouldn't be a-allowed in such a p-place." I stuttered as Totomaru gave me a look. "We're just going to start the lesson on the way there. Part of that lesson being self doubtful. It's embarrassing for my future queen to be in such a condition that she can barely handle talking to a commoner such as myself." Totomaru grumbled as I looked up at him feeling this sudden wave of hope. "You're going to be here?" Totomaru was going to be here, by my side? Through all of this large situation? "Your mother has granted me permission to stay here, at least on the basis of continuing to train you in your magic." Totomaru explained as a thought struck me. "Will she be coming to?" I asked my hesitation high, I didn't want to show her my magic it was unstable and she had probably had years to discover and master the magic of her own creation. "It'll be dangerous for the queen to follow us into such a place, it has been explained to you before that your magic is not all throughout your entire family. It is actually something you weren't supposed to have to begin with. The magic line for dragon slayers was supposed to be entirely possessed by Artemis." Totomaru explained. "Why is that?" I asked glancing towards him. He hesitated. "It's because your side of the family somewhere along the lines was the second-born child. It was more than likely your mother since you guys are cousins." He explained as I nodded watching him slowly open the door towards what would lay far beyond within my own future. I watched him walk in, walking towards my future as he looked around. Almost seeming as if he was admiring the vastness of the place. I moved forwards trying to see what was within my own home.

"I'm not sure." I whispered peering within the room. "Come on, you're more afraid of this giant room than you were of me at first." He scoffed as I glanced around. "I-I thought I knew you from somewhere, you presence felt safe! It wasn't my fault! You seemed familiar!" I said back looking back at him as I entered the training hall which oddly turned out to be the total opposite of what I had imagined, it was quite simply. It was much like a ball room even with the windows except it was lacking tables. Also there was the extra closet which kept the weapons neatly stacked and stored in. "That's a stupid reason." Totomaru said anger edging acrossed his voice. "We're only going to start with magic." He turned to me as I blinked at him. "Than what will you be using?" I asked remembering his earlier lecture on how I was the only one to receive magic in my family. I glanced at Totomaru's slight set-back look upon his face. "That's not a problem. If you remember I've already started training you in the garden i'm going to finish." He explained looking at me as I nodded remembering the training. Everything seemed to be going well until I was knocked into the pond, I glanced around looking for water sources that he might have been able to use against me. "No water today, I double checked. But you should probably learn to swim eventually." He explained continuing on as he pulled the weapons out. "Are we going with swords again?" I asked as he shook his head. "No, only I will be equipped with a weapon this time." He explained as I glanced at him confused. "This is important so that you realize that you are never _truly _without a weapon." He explained as I nodded. "If you let the magic control you or use your emotions you will probably wind up either putting yourself in a magical coma or hurting someone important to you." He explained already beginning to circle with a sword.

"How? My magic is obviously made for protecting people." I asked as he sighed charging as I flung my hands up a flimsy shield coming around me. "That shield won't be strong enough and will wind up letting an enemy in while someone is trying to catch their breath, or a medical team trying to heal the injured this shield is too flimsy." He said his sword shattering the shield into a thousand tiny pieces which disappeared quickly off of the floor. Totomaru brushed a piece off of his arm. "If you make this shield too strong and it explodes it'll turn into shrapnel and kill the people you're trying to protect." He explained as I found myself jumping back realizing that he wouldn't be backing off. "I will control it." I muttered to myself finally finding the distance to replace the shield, stronger this time. "Are you serious? Can you control something like that? Are you sure that isn't too much for someone as flimsy as you?" He shouted as I felt something strange inside myself boil as if somehow I was hurt by the words I had been thinking to myself all of this time. "Of course! This is my power! I will control it!" I shouted my shield glowing a brighter color of orange. "Emotions like that to control your shield will damage the shield itself." Totomaru shouted slamming his sword against the shield as it vibrated against the shield I could feel the sweat go down my back. Bile rising in my throat. "Like how?" I shouted back as he smiled breaking his hold on the sword. "What if you ever get into a fight with Rogue? How will that end? Will he lose control of his shadows first or will you accidentally fling him away with your shield, which one do you think is more likely to happen?" He asked as I looked at the floor. "My loss of control." I whispered as he nodded. "Totomaru...I-I need a break, I'm starting to feel sick." I explained as he nodded. "It's about time, you did well." He shouted tossing me a bottle of water. "It's breakfast time." He smiled as I nodded following him steadily.

"You went over your magic capacity, you probably won't be able to use magic for the rest of the day without hitting it into a deadly level." He explained as I nodded listening to him in detail. Around noon since I wanted to go out and see what my own kingdom looked like I would have a guard placed at my side in which they would escort me throughout the entire village showing me who's-who and who wasn't to be trusted while still being friendly to them. I sat slowly down at breakfast glancing around for Rogue wondering if I should start addressing him by a less friendly sounding tone with his title attached to it. Did he use mine the other day? Was I comfortable enough to hear that? Would it feel like he was settling in a detachment towards me? Why was that? Why...why did I feel so distant from him suddenly? "_I can lure people in to fix the relationships." _Rogu-my fairy god mother's voice whispered. It was almost tempting now that I hadn't seen the SaberTooth prince at the breakfast hall. Maybe he hadn't even liked me in the first place which he thought he liked me just because I was always there and he realized if he were to keep his promise I would never have to leave. That could have easily been misinterpreted as the same thing as marriage right? I sighed wondering if the reason he asked me such a question was really a misunderstanding of the word caused by the royal's mid-understanding of how life works outside of their own castles. "Hey, Totomaru.." I whispered setting my fashionable fork down. "What's the matter?" He asked still dragging foods on to his tray precautiously picking threw them as if he didn't understand what each piece of food was. I could understand that, after growing up in PhantomLord, these foods were strange and unknown. I wasn't going to be lured for a wish not just yet. I had to do things within my own power. I glanced around the room, although late, Totomaru and I were the only ones to arrive for breakfast. Unless the more likely choice of everyone had already eaten and left had happened. "Do you think he actually likes me?" I whispered glancing away as Totomaru took a bite of his food, glanced at me, then proceeded with another bite. "Is this a serious question?" He asked after finishing that second mouthful. I glanced away blushing wondering if it was unusual for someone to ask anyone about a relationship advice. Or if he found it weird an x-maid or a princess asking for advice. "A little bit...I figured since you were older and a guy you might know what he's thinking...or at least if I'm doing something stupid." I muttered unsure if he could hear me. "Just because i'm also a guy doesn't mean I can answer your question." He grumbled. "I didn't know who else to ask..I don't know my mom well enough yet to start with awkward questions and I figured you might...know some things?" I whispered this conversation wasn't getting anywhere.

"Have you tried asking any of your female friends?" He asked sighed as he had to put his fork down. "Well..." There was an awkward silence amongst the table as he gave me the '_Well? Have you?' _Look. I glanced up towards him hesitating. "Jose...kind of killed her while she was protecting my cousin." I whispered as he paused his eating. He knew Juvia. Barely but he knew she was there. Well in my eyes barely. That was a lie. I knew it was. I had been lying to myself that I was the only one that was hurting upon her..utter demise.

Totomaru was always her escort whispering to her whenever they left or needed something from town. They were opposites, but part of a close secret team. A team who was important to each other, if I would remember right there were four people who were really close within the castle even though they weren't supposed to be. Juvia, Totomaru, Gajeel, and another, maybe two. But that was the limit. "She was the only person who was _always_ there." I whispered glancing at the floor. "How do you suppose Levy originally found out about your planned execution?" Totomaru replied as I looked up feeling my face twist. She was always around even when I didn't know. "I should've demanded she come with me." I whispered trying to hide the shaken emotions coming to my face. I took a deep breath 'take control of your emotions' my mind whispered as I double checked what Totomaru explained earlier during our training sessions. "Send a note to your cousin she'll probably reply with something, I am but a simple knight amongst _your _services." He explained as I nodded watching him walk out probably going to clean his plate. He did that sometimes. Usually when Juvia was on duty because the other knights had a tendency to pile their dishes up on purpose to see how often they could get her to come back. It annoyed me the game they played tugging on the maid's bows, but I never completely understood it. I only knew it annoyed Totomaru too. Although he never did anything...although he had raised his hand and smacked another knight for "embarrassing conduct that disgraces such knights of the castle" when one of them trapped Juvia within their grasps. I shivered remembering the thoughts that it could have been me and I was no use to help her or it would get both of us killed. I glanced towards Totomaru. "I wish she could have lived all the way up till now. I would have asked for her too." I whispered, I thought I heard a faint "you and me both" from Totomaru but it was too late he was already far gone. And so was one of his best friends.

I sighed gathering my things and standing up as I walked out looking for my mom to ask her whom would be my guard today. It was strange that I would be assigned a guard. Usually Rogue would just offer to take me somewhere but instead...I felt a sudden pang thinking that it might be my fault. "I'm a bad person at heart aren't I?" I asked glancing towards the sky. I begun thinking about my traits. I was jealous, greedy, fearful, I wanted it all, and yet I wanted to push it all away as fast as I could, I wasn't honest with how I felt, and I was always lying. I sighed realizing that I should probably go get a shower and get dressed first. And so I did that finally done getting a shower I changed into a sky blue dress that had a train but seemed simple enough at the same time. "Okay, time to go." I found my mother showing her my dress as she nodded in approval and said that she couldn't go into town today she was busy arranging for a peace treaty in-between three nations which ironically turned out to be SaberTooth, PhantomLord, and Pyre. I nodded heading out towards my escort who was a knight named Erigor.

***Rogue's P.O.V***

Something had smelled strangely obnoxious about the castle all day. Something overwhelming. It wasn't his scent and yet it smelled as if he was wandering about the castle. _Everywhere._ They way he had on the first night, but these new traces of the scent were new. Except they had the fine taste of blood written on top of them. It was something both strange and peculiar. Unnerving really. It also floated in and out of Celestine's room as if this scent of his had come to visit her, stayed there for a momentary part of time, than left again once it completed whatever had to be done. Rogue licked his lips as if that would remove the scent that was making his stomach turn. It was a familiar scent. A scent of his own...mixed with blood and a loved one's scent. Rogue licked his lips again as if he were going to remove it. He cracked his hands together the way he had seen Sting do every time that he had become agitate. "I just need a reason to talk to Sting, he'll reassure me that I'm going crazy." Rogue nodded shaking his head. "Not going crazy. Not going crazy." He reiterated. "Prince Rogue!" One of the guards shouted running up to him with a letter in hand. "What is it?" He asked turning to the guard who was holding the letter as if it were something delicate and of extreme importance as he handed it over. The letter was addressed from Artemis and labeled 'urgent delivery requested' such requests from a almost king nor almost queen were not things to procrastinate upon. Rogue took the letter quickly ripping open the letter with his bare hands. This was just what he needed a letter for guidance. Hopefully the 'urgent delivery' was just Sting being careless when he was asked to deliver the letter or something. Rogue pulled the letter out realizing that wasn't the case.

"_Our country is being sabotaged. WE need you now. It started with Yukino's school being lit aflame and now parts of the village are on fire each day. So far we believe to have Kurohebi of the RavenTail castle within our land. We may need you. Sting's gone ahead to reassure Yukino and then follow suit. I plan to do that soon, but I worry about leaving the castle unguarded."_

Rogue felt his hand crumble the note. They had gone and attacked Sting's and his best friend since childhood. That was simply a low blow. No one would get away with damaging Yukino's dreams. Not one of his best friends. "I should find...her." Rogue glanced at the floor wondering if she actually wanted him around anymore now that she had a chance at a better life than what he was giving her. A life without being constantly attacked and almost kidnapped, dragged off to foreign lands whimsically and being able to stay in her own home. With her _own_ mother. Rogue gritted his teeth. Finally making a decision. "Guard bring me a pencil and paper." He explained as the guard nodded turning to head off before he stopped. "What's the matter?" He asked. "One more detail to report." He explained as Rogue nodded, waiting.

"X-King-Jose has escaped from prison."

**Author's note: ****There's a high possibility your author may be a robot. I just completed a three week college work project from start to finish all by myself (well the video part) but it took all of friday and all of saturday when I finally finished and converted it to a file that can be transport enabled last night, double-checked it, and than begun working on my art project proceeding with this story**

**THE MAIN POINt- I'm tired**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The taste quickly echoed in his lips again as he felt his hand move attempting to wipe the taste away once again. That stupid taste making sure to reiterate its presence. "I'm serious Celestine listen to me." A voice echoed as Rogue found himself precautiously around the corner towards the familiar voice. "Ditch him, come back with me." Rogue felt his heart skip a beat tempted to listen to their conversation further, as he felt his foot move forwards on it's own, a giggle erupting from Celestine. "Great, Where? Back to fairy land?" She was definitely smiling. "Come on, I'm begging you." His own voice was _begging_ and not only that, that voice had gained the slightest dialect of being a player. "You're being loud you know." She shushed him. "I can be as loud as I want, remember I'm invisible to others." The voice was smiling back towards her. "What if I say I have someone more important to me here?" Her voice asked. "Than I'll just have to take you with me." Rogue moved forward heading into the lighter section of the castle as he felt his heart skip a beat looking at the blurry image of Celestine kissing another. And smiling.

A sharp breath. Breathe in slowly, remember controlling breathing practice. Take another. Don't panic. The sun seemed brighter than normal today. Rogue glanced at his sleeve. He had to start giving her more credit. "Rogue, if you don't start giving her more trust your going to panic constantly. And seriously? You left her with only a letter?" A voice muttered sounding as if they were rolling their eyes. "Rufus, that you?" Rogue sighed glancing up towards the other end of the cart, eye slowly opening which wanted to shut immediately once they hit one of the bumps. "Yes, Rogue it's me. But seriously? Your exits need to be cooler and more addressed however are you going to actually win her over if you act like that? Also, the queen already told me about your predicament." Rufus said as Rogue sat up. "She didn't! I told her not to tell anyone!" Rogue shouted feeling heat rise to his face, those _kind _of things weren't the thing you talked about with your guy friends. Rufus tilted his face a slight smile on his face. "Sting told me I could probably get your adventures out of you if I road on the trolley that came to get you." Rufus laughed as Rogue glanced up towards his friend. "You're an evil friend." Rogue sighed. "Yeah I know, but I figured since you never sent us any word that you were okay I figured I would just mess with you a bit." Rufus smiled looking away deciding not to pressure for the predicament. Or so he thought. "So are you really fighting with Celestine? Why aren't you bringing her back?" Rufus grumbled glancing at him. "She needs her own training, she finally found her home and now I don't want to be the one to pull her out of there." Rogue sighed adjusting the pillows and reaching for the sleeping lacrima pills. He could now rest safer with Rufus at his side in such a pathetic condition. "Not yet." Rufus said managing to pause his hand movement. "When we get out of here i'm going to either destroy you in combat or loose my insides, maybe both." Rogue grumbled as Rufus rolled his eyes. "Unsettling talk for a king of SaberTooth such uncivilized manners." Rufus sighed as Rogue grumbled attempting to persuade him to hand over the sleeping pills. The only thing that made the motion sickness easier.

"Did she dump you?" Rufus asked as Rogue twitched. "Your such a little child, she probably said something that you didn't understand and mistook it as the words "I hate you" or "I never want to marry such a person like you" something along those lines right?" Rufus shook his head.

"Rufus, give me _my _pills." Rogue sighed.

"Nope, you're going to listen to me or I will write CaithShelter to cap you on your sleeping pills. Do you know that I've been right behind you since you left Celestine's castle? How about that I was here the whole time? You've been using them even when you're not on a vehicle."

"That's-"

"You're lying"

"That's not true!"

"You're lying, and Sting won't stand for that. He will know immediately that you've already taken too many for this ride."

"..."

"That's the truth, what's wrong?"

"It's my own personal problem."

Rogue sighed sitting up as he glared acrossed towards Rufus who shook his head. "You've got five seconds to tell me." Rufus glared as Rogue waved him off reaching for the pills. "It's just for the ride." Rogue sighed attempting to take them. "Too late." Rufus sighed grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and chucking him out of the vehicle luckily as he landed in the grass. Familiar voices echoed down the place in which they had stopped which seemed to be right outside the castle within it's garden.

"We're finally done. Yukino we will handle this."

"Thanks. I'm going to head home."

"See you tomorrow!"

Rogue looked up towards the people who were coming home. "Sting! Rogue's back!" Artemis smiled, her dress seemed almost as if the dress was supposed to make her represent a woodland fairy. The dress did it's job well even with it's green train that trailed the dress similar to the one he had seen Celestine wearing this morning. "Rogue welcome bac-" Sting smiled beginning to wave as his smile fell. "Artemis get away from him!" He shouted grabbing her by her shoulders and spinning her around to the point Sting's back was facing Rogue as he whispered to Artemis quickly who's face filled with confusion and panic. "Rufus! Back away from him...slowly and carefully." Sting shouted as Artemis's shield lit up a glowing bright blue, flashing a couple times as if she was unsure, but suddenly keeping steady as if she knew that he had to stay up. Her panicked eyes still completely fixed on him. "Sting? What's wrong?" Rogue asked backing away carefully something was definitely wrong here. As suddenly Sting whipped around and punched him in the face pinning him down. "Your lucky I just got out of the trolley." Rogue thought as Sting begun to speak as if he was being careful picking and choosing each word he said. "You need to stay calm...I'm your brother I'll listen to you, anything that you need to say." Sting said, there was some form of anger brimming in his eyes. "What's going on?" Rogue asked confused and completely startled. "Are you okay? Did you fight with someone...say someone _important?_" Sting asked carefully. "What are you talking about?" Rogue asked wondering if the panic from saving Yukino's house was setting in as if it were setting in like exhaustion. "Have you committed a crime?" Sting asked looking at him carefully. "No! I have no idea what anyone's talking and screaming about!" Rogue shouted back.

"Why do you smell like you're covered in Celestine's blood, then?


End file.
